In My Eyes
by SnowflakeShard
Summary: After meeting the extraordinary Lyn, Lloyd forges a friendship with her. They begin hanging out, avoiding both the press and Ninjago's wealthiest families. Two people, although worlds apart, find something similar within each other. Is this the start of beautiful friendship, or will it bloom into something more? Sequel to Valentine's Day for the Green Ninja.
1. Chapter 1

**So I decided to continue this one. As part of my entries for Ninjago Self Insert Week on Tumblr, I came up with a continuation. I would also like to thank INFJwriter and TitaniumMasterOfAquaLightning for encouraging me to continue this story.** **I'm not that sure what's in store for this story, so have any suggestions, please tell me in your reviews! Anyways, enjoy! :)**

* * *

Lyn closed the door to her room and plopped on her bed. She recalled everything that had happened that day. She smiled as she remembered how Lloyd approached her and asked to play with her. Then she remembered how Lloyd defended her from Vince. Never did she think she would meet someone who cared so much, let alone a ninja.

"Lyn? Are you home?" a voice called. Lyn sat up.

"Yeah, Mom. I'll be right there," she was about to open her bedroom door when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. 'Oh, shoot. Can't go out there looking like this.' She changed her jacket and jeans to a t-shirt and sweatpants. She also washed her face and brushed her brown wavy hair before going out. She made her way to the dining room where her parents were sitting down. Dinner was already set up.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Lyn bent down to give them a kiss. She then went to get a glass of juice from the fridge.

"So, how was your day?" Mom asked.

"It was good," Lyn replied as she poured the pitcher of juice onto her own glass. "I had fun."

"Oh, yes. Vince called me this morning. He was looking for you," Mom continued.

"Did he now?" asked Lyn, trying to mask the nervousness and annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah, he said he's been trying to call you all morning but you weren't answering."

"I must have left my phone in my room," Lyn replied as she walked back to the dining table to join her parents. 'Actually I left it on purpose so I don't have to answer his calls.'

"So were you able to see him anyway?" asked Dad.

"Um, yeah, I did. Buuut it didn't go so well."

"Oh? Why?"

"Well, you see…" And Lyn spilled the whole thing. She told them about how Vince harassed her at the noodle house and how Lloyd stood up for her. After everything was explained, her mother started checking her up and down, holding her face, swaying her from left to right, looking for injuries.

"Oh my gosh, sweetie! Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine!" Lyn replied as she tried to remove her mother's hand from her face.

"I can't believe that boy did that to you! I should have a restraining order arranged for him!" her father replied.

"Whoa, calm down, Dad!" Lyn said. Her father took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Lyn, why didn't you tell us before that Vince was acting like this?"

"Because he never did anything like this before" Lyn responded. "This was the first time he became aggressive. All he's been doing was asking to hang out with me. But I never really accepted his invites."

"He seems quite persistent lately," her mother added. "But I didn't think he'd go that far. He's always been so nice and respectful."

Lyn shrugged. "Trust me, Mom. That guy's got a bad side not worth messing with."

"Hmph! That boy needs to be taught some manners," Lyn's father continued. "Don't worry Lyn. I'll make sure he won't set foot within a hundred meters of you."

Lyn held her hands up. "Don't you think that's a bit overkill?"

"Yes, dear," Lyn's Mom said. "Besides, we have dinner party next week with Vince's parents."

"Maybe I can skip attending?" Lyn slyly commented. 'I don't like going to those events anyway.'

"Of course not!" Mom replied. "You're going. It's not good for the family to be incomplete in such an event." Lyn groaned.

"That's right!" exclaimed Dad. "And I have a meeting with Harold next week. I'll talk to him about Vince's actions then."

"Wait, dear," interjected Mom. "What if Vince will try something at the party? Will Lyn be okay?"

Lyn nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll just avoid him like I always do."

"But that might not be enough. Perhaps we could give you a personal bodyguard for the night?"

"A big, buff guy in a tux and possibly shades following me around all night? Thanks, but no thanks, Mom. Really, I'll be fine by myself." Lyn stood up to excuse herself for the evening when her father called her.

"Hold it, young lady. We're not through with this until we've come to an agreement with your security next week." Lyn inhaled in annoyance before letting out a loud sigh. 'This going to be a long night, isn't it?'

That same night, Lloyd slept early to avoid his team mates' interrogation. He wasn't so lucky the following morning however. He woke up to the gentle nudge that belonged to cold titanium hands.

"Get up Lloyd. We'll be late for training," Zane told him. Lloyd promptly got out of bed and freshened himself up. He was about to head to the door when Jay blocked his path.

"Okay, Lloyd, spill it," Jay said crossing his arms.

"Yeah, Lloyd," Kai added. "What happened yesterday?"

"Probably met someone special, didn't you?" Cole joined in.

"I, I…" Lloyd choked on his words. He didn't feel like sharing his encounter with Lyn and immediately came up with a rebuttal. "Well, I don't think I have to spill anything. After all, you guys ditched me yesterday. I believe it's my turn to keep you in the dark." Lloyd turned his back on them.

The morning went by as usual. Training went off without a hitch. Lloyd would talk to everyone as usual, but whenever the boys would bring up yesterday's adventure, Lloyd would ignore them. In the afternoon, they met up with Dareth in Ninjago City for their shoot for another TV commercial and other public appearances.

"Alright, that's a wrap," Dareth called to them on the set. The ninja plopped on their chairs, trying to unwind from the day's events. Lloyd took out his phone as well as the strip of paper with Lyn's number. Taking a deep breathe, he began typing.

"Lyn?" He pressed 'Send'. He waited for a while. His phone immediately beeped.

"Yes?" Lloyd smiled.

"Hey. It's Lloyd."

"Lloyd who?"

"Lloyd Garmadon? We met yesterday outside the city."

"We did? You sure you got the right person?" Lloyd narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Oh sorry. I must have the wrong number."

"Hehe hey Lloyd. Just messing with you. – Lyn"

"You sure got me. Are you busy?"

"Nope. You?"

"Just finished shooting a scene."

"Ooooh interesting. Hey you have any plans later?

"No, why?"

"Wanna hang out?"

"Sure! Where do you have in mind?"

"Meet me at Mega Monster Amusement Park in thirty minutes. I hear they have a new attraction."

Lloyd wasted no time. I quietly slipped out of his seat and headed for the exit. Heading for the roof, he summoned his elemental dragon and headed for the bounty for a new change of clothes. He arrived at Mega Monster Amusement Park with ten minutes to spare. He landed some distance from the park so not to attract attention. He then took out his phone once more. This time, he dialed Lyn's number and pressed his phone against his ear. All of a sudden, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Lloyd turned around and saw Lyn standing there.

"Hey," Lyn waved.

"Uhh, hi," Lloyd waved back. He felt his heart race again. It was getting annoying too. Lyn was wearing a white top with a turquoise cardigan over it and black jeans. Her long brown waves cascaded down her back. She also looked a little taller since she seemed to be wearing black wedged sneakers.

"What?" Lyn asked Lloyd.

"Nothing! Nothing at all," Lloyd replied. "So what's this new attraction you mentioned earlier?"

"This way," Lyn motioned Lloyd to follow him and let him to a huge machine with two elevated platforms, each one with their own screen with arrows appearing on hem. Huge speakers were set on each side and was blaring loud music. People were already crowding around to spectate the two people using the contraption. The players had their eyes glued on their respective screens as they danced to the best of the current song, their feet landing on the panels corresponding to the incoming arrows shown on screen.

"That's their new attraction, huh? Sweet." Lyn said.

"That thing looks like it's for the arcade," Lloyd replied.

"Well it's here now. Let's give it a shot." Lyn began to make her way to the stage.

"Uh-uh. No way," Lloyd said crossing his arms. Lyn stopped to look back at him.

"Seriously? Why not?"

"Dancing's not my thing. It's Cole's. No way am I going up that thing."

"Aw, come on, Lloyd. Just one game!" Lyn pleaded. "Please?"

"But I don't know how to dance."

"You don't have to know how. You just need to be observant and follow the steps on the screen."

"I'm still not doing it." Lyn cupped her chin. There must be some way to get Lloyd up there. Lyn then broke into a sly grin.

"How about a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"We'll play one round on that thing. If you win, I'll treat you to every treat and candy they have in the park." Now that got Lloyd's attention.

"You're serious?"

"Yup. But if I win, you go with me on every ride and activity I choose. No exceptions." Llpyd thought about it for a while. Think of all the candy he could eat in this place. And Lyn said every one them in the park right?

"Fine." Lloyd held out his hand. "It's a deal." Lyn shook Lloyd's hand.

"Prepare to be destroyed."

The two took their respective places on the dance platform. As soon as the music started playing, the arrows began appearing onscreen. Lloyd feet responded quickly and was able to hit every mark. However as the song progressed, the arrows began to appear at a much faster rate and in different combinations. The green ninja was getting confused as he started stepping on the wrong panels. Lyn, however was moving with finesse as she easily hit the right panels at the right time.

'Can't lose. Not now' Lloyd thought to himself as he pushed himself to be more alert to the incoming moves. Finally, he got his bearings and began moving at record speed. As the moves got harder, both began to tire. Lyn was already panting and had to hold the bar attached to platform to support herself. At last, the song ended and the crowd was cheering at the top of their lungs. Both Lloyd and Lyn got of the stage trying to catch their breathe.

"So, who won?" asked Lyn as she looked up to the screen to see their scores. Lloyd's was higher than here by ten points.

"Well looks like I get my candy after all," Lloyd chuckled.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Lloyd going from stand to stand buying every lollipop, cotton candy and ice cream he laid his eyes on. After thirty minutes, he was already dragging Lyn by the arm, telling her to catch up so they could get to the next stall. Next thing Lyn knew, Lloyd was yelling at the top of his lungs, "I'm never coming down from this sure high! Never!"

'Note to self: Never give the green ninja candy overdose.' Finally Lloyd's hyperactivity died down, and Lloyd found himself in a fit of embarrassment.

"Aw man, I can't believe I did that," he put his hands on his head. He was sitting on a bench with Lyn trying to stifle a laugh.

"Actually it wasn't that bad," she told him. "At least no one recognized you."

"I guess so." Both were silent once more and Lyn began to fidget with her fingers.

"Hey Lloyd?"

"Yeah?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I have a favor to ask you."

"I hope it doesn't involve me doing something stupid."

"Well, this is kind of up your alley. Kind of. Will you…?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you…"

"What?"

"Will you…"

"What?!" Lyn took a deep breathe before blurting it out:

"Will you be my bodyguard for one night?" Lloyd blinked.

"What?"


	2. Chapter 2

Lloyd was still processing what the girl had just said. "You want me to what?"

"Remember what happened yesterday with Vince?" Lyn continued. "Well there's a dinner party next week and my parents want security around me. But I find it too much for me to be followed around by someone in a suit looking like some hitman. So I was thinking, if it's alright for you to act as my bodyguard for just one night?" Lyn looked up at Lloyd seeing he was still confused. "At least if it's you, you would blend right in. They wouldn't suspect a thing."

"But isn't the bodyguard suppose to stand out?" Lloyd countered. "I mean, if you want Vince to back off, he should know you've got security behind you."

"I know, I know!" Lyn stood up shaking her hands before fidgeting with her fingers. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "I just… I really don't want to be there by myself. I thought, maybe, if you'd come with me, it would be easier for me to get through the night."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "I don't know…"

"Please? My parents told me if I couldn't find anyone I would be comfortable with, I would really have to go with a man in black."

"Can't you skip attending?" Lloyd asked. Lyn snorted.

"Trust me I tried that, but my Mom went all, 'Absolutely not! Its is inappropriate for the family to be incomplete in such events!'" Lyn did an impression of her mom, adding some posh gestures and a weirdly sophisticated accent for the fun of it. Lloyd held back a laugh.

"So this dinner party must be really important, huh?"

"You could say that. It's a dinner with all the prominent businessmen in Ninjago along with their families. But honestly, I hate those events. All they do is talk about how big their companies have grown and they try to reel in new deals with other company owners."

"And their kids?"

"They mostly brag about who's got the latest stuff or who's been where, or which celebrity they've recently met. It's more like a popularity contest than a decent conversation." Lyn brought her knees to her chest. "I really hate these events. It's no fun at all. Every one's either judging you or using you for their own benefit."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "So let me get this straight. You want me to go to that formal event with you, as your bodyguard, just because you don't want to be followed by a big guy in a suit and shades and so that you'd have company of someone other than Ninjago's elite?" Lyn nodded. Lloyd leaned back and looked up at the dimming sky. He sighed. He isn't one for sophisticated events either, but something inside him was telling him not to refuse. After a long pause, he finally sighed.

"Okay."

Lyn's face lit up. "You'll do it?"

Lloyd looked away from her, attempting to hide the fact that he was blushing. "Well, bottom line is, you need my help, right?" he said awkwardly. "As a ninja, I can't turn you down."

"Yes! Thank you!" Lyn clapped her hands and attacked Lloyd with a big hug. "You don't know how much this means to me." Lloyd heat began racing again and he hoped Lyn wouldn't hear it. The brunette finally pulled away and stood up. "And don't worry; I'll make sure you won't get bored. Now come on." She started walking away while putting her hands in her pocket. Lloyd stood up.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"To get you a suit."

Lloyd snuck back into the bounty, holding a brand new suit and tie - still inside its chic container- over his shoulder. 'Where the heck am I gonna hide this thing?' Everyone was in the dining room eating dinner. He tiptoed his way to Nya's room and took out his phone.

Nya please I need a favor. Meet me in your room. Please don't tell the others.

After a few minutes, Nya appeared. She found Lloyd sitting down, his back leaning against the side of her cabinet.

"Okay, what's this all about?" Nya asked, putting her hands in her hips.

Lloyd gestured her to come over. The water ninja approached with an amused look on her face. She bent down to meet Lloyd's eye level and gave him a "Well?-I'm-waiting" kind of look. Lloyd took a deep breathe.

"I need you to hide something for me." Nya raised a brow. Lloyd took said thing from behind him.

"Is that what I think it is?" Nya reached out and took the black container from Lloyd's hands. She unzipped it and pulled out the attire within. Her eyes widened as she examined the clothing.

"Why in the world would you have this? And how'd you even afford it? Judging by how it looks this is way beyond than your typical budget."

"Yeah," Lloyd replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck. "Way beyond."

"So what do you need it for?" Nya continued. She then opened her closet and carefully placed the suit at the far end of the rack before closing its doors.

"There's a dinner party next Friday, and I'm going as someone's bodyguard." Lloyd shut his eyes as he said this. He was waiting for Nya to laugh about it. But no laugh came.

"And how did you end up being someone's bodyguard?" Nya simply asked. She didn't sound annoyed or amused. She seemed to be analyzing the situation before coming up with a conclusion.

"Well…" Lloyd told her his story about meeting Lyn, how he rescued her from Vince, and how Lyn asked him to be her bodyguard."…and that's how I ended up in this situation." Nya then cupped her chin and paced around her room. She finally turned to face Lloyd.

"Okay. I'll help you sneak out on Friday."

"Seriously?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Lloyd wanted to jump around the room in victory but decided against it for fear of causing a commotion. He wanted to hug Nya too but Nya beat him to it saying, "Come here, you."

"Thanks, Nya."

After Lloyd pulled away from the hug, he headed for the door. He stopped midway and turned to the water ninja. "You know, Kai's really lucky to have a sister like you."

Nya just smiled. "And you're lucky to have a sister like me."

Friday arrived at last. The ninja were only training for that day so no one left the bounty. By four o clock, everyone was finally released to do their own thing. Lloyd took a quick shower before heading to Nya's room and found her preparing her dresser with some hair products.

"What's that for?" Lloyd asked as he went to retrieve his evening attire.

"You can't exactly go to a formal event without looking good, can you?" Nya said, pointing at Lloyd's hair which was gently sticking out in different angles. Lloyd waved it off.

"I can fix myself just fine, thanks."

"And let everybody recognize you?"

"I'll figure something out."

Nya face palmed. "Don't tell me. Fedora?"

"Y-yes?"

"Ugghh get over here!" Nya grabbed Lloyd by his shirt and put him on the chair. Nya began combing Lloyd's blonde hair, while Lloyd silently puts his hands over his face, too embarrassed to do anything.

After an agonizing fifteen minutes, Nya says, "There, all done." Lloyd looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair basically looks the same, but it was combed more neatly and his wild locks were carefully put in place.

"So?" Nya asked triumphantly. "Am I good, or am I good?"

"It's basically the same." Lloyd replied, simply annoyed. "People will still notice."

"Oh please. If they couldn't easily notice us when we were on the run with hats, a simple hairdo is all it takes."

"Riiiight."

"Anyway, you better get changed." Nya handed Lloyd his suit. "Better you change here. I'll stay outside to keep the guys away." She then went out the door. Lloyd put on his suit and left the bounty on his dragon. He wore the green hood from his ninja gi, hoping that the wind won't wreck Nya's work on his hair.

Lloyd gracefully landed on the penthouse's main balcony and straightened himself up. He knocked on the glass sliding door. The door opened and a pair of brown eyes greeted him.

"Oh hey, you're right on time," Lyn greeted.

"Hey," Lloyd greeted in return. He felt his face grow warm at the sight of her. Lyn was in a mint and black colored cocktail dress and her hair had been intricately curled and pulled to one side. She wore silver sequined stilettos with a cute mint clutch purse in her hand. Lyn then took notice of Lloyd's hairdo. "What's with your hair?"

"Don't ask," Lloyd replied. Lyn showed him in and led him to the living room where Lyn's parents were waiting.

"So this is the famous green ninja," Lyn's father stated, shaking Lloyd's hand. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

"The honor's mine, Sir," Lloyd replied. The man then introduced himself.

"I am Geoffrey, and this is my wife Olivia," Geoffrey gestured to his wife. Olivia shook Lloyd's hand.

"I'm very confident that my daughter is in good hands," Olivia said.

"I assure you, nothing will happen to her on my watch," Lloyd replied. At this Lyn felt herself blush in embarrassment.

"Shall we?" Geoffrey led them out the penthouse and to the ground floor, where a black limousine was waiting outside. Lloyd opened the door for them and Godfrey nodded in approval.

"Such a gentleman!" Olivia exclaimed as she entered the car with her husband and Lyn following suit.

"Since when were you a gentleman?" she whispered to Lloyd.

"Get in, your majesty," Lloyd whispered back with sarcasm to match.

They finally arrived at the venue. It was Ninjago's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The party was held at the building's largest ballroom. Lyn's parents immediately went to their crowd, leaving their daughter with her bodyguard.

"Okay, what should we do first?" Lyn said while glancing at her watch. "Dinner doesn't start until seven. We still have forty minutes."

"I don't know," Lloyd answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I've never been to things like this."

"Jacquelyn!" a voice called. Lyn forced a smile before turning to see who called her. It was a girl with blonde curly hair wearing beige cocktail dress. She was followed by several other girls, who were waving at Lyn.

"Hi, uhm Caroline!" Lyn greeted the blonde. "It's been a while." Caroline and her entourage zoomed past Lloyd, not caring that they stepped on his feet. Soon all the girls began crowding Lyn, asking her how she's been, how much they love her dress, who's her stylist, and so on.

"Anyways," Caroline continued. "Have you seen the recent episode of Go Ninja Go? Like, seriously, the ninja are so hot."

"I know right," spoke a girl with black hair tied to a side braid. "I actually had lunch with Kai the other day."

"No you didn't," said a red head. "You went shopping with me that day Bianca."

"Whatev, Selene!" retorted Bianca. "But it would be awesome to go out with them. What do you think Jacquelyn?" All the girls then huddled close to Lyn, waiting for her to answer.

"Uh, what do I think about what?" Lyn asked.

"Duh, the ninja! Don't you think it's awesome to hang out with them?" replied Bianca.

"Yeah, I guess," Lyn responded. She really wanted to get away. She then thought up of an excuse. "You know what, I think I'm gonna go powder my cheeks. I'll see you later." She left the crowd of girls and headed for the balcony garden with Lloyd following behind. Noticing a nearby bench, she plopped on it, sitting in a very relaxed manner.

"That could have gone better," Lloyd said.

Ya think?" Lyn replied. "Sorry the girls ran you over."

"Yeah, that was embarrassing," Lloyd replied, putting his hands on his pockets. "You still okay?" Lyn nodded.

"Let's just stay out here until they serve dinner. I don't want to endure Caroline and the others again." Lloyd chuckled.

"So this Caroline. Is she one of those who, how do I say it?"

"Use me?" Lyn finished for him.

"Uhh, yeah?"

"Uh-huh. She may be quite bubbly on the outside, but that's cuz she's buttering you up for favors. Once she gets what she wants, she doesn't remember you after. OnceI asked her to help me with a personal project some time ago, she refused immediately saying that it was beneath her."

"Whoa, that is harsh."

See? This is why I don't like going to these events. I don't belong here. I just want to go home." Lloyd felt himself giggling at what the girl said. Lyn gave him a pointed look.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that you sound like a kid ready to throw a tantrum." With that, Lyn too started laughing and Lloyd soon joined in. Once the laughter died down, Lyn spoke up.

"I knew bringing you rather than a man in black was a good idea."

"Technically, I'm still a man in black," Lloyd responded gesturing at his suit and tie.

"Not in my eyes."

"Ahem." The two jolted up to see a waiter at the doorway. "Dinner is served."

"M'lady?" Lloyd waved his hands toward the door. Lyn just rolled her eyes and proceeded inside.

* * *

 **I finally did chapter 2! Phew! Honestly this one was a "going-where-the-wind -takes-me" kind of chapter. If you see any errors or anything that needs correcting, don't hesitate to tell me. Also, yay for Lloyd and Nya interaction! I don't see Lloyd really talking with Nya unless necessary so I thought of putting something where there would be some sibling stuff between them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are very much appreciated! If you have any ideas on what kind of adventures or situations Lyn and Lloyd should wind up in, feel free to tell me about them! Till next time! ~ Snowflakeshard :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Everything at the dinner table was delicious. Too bad Lloyd wasn't having any of it. He had to stand tall, back against wall, and wait for his charge to finish eating. 'Should've eaten something before I left home.' He heard his stomach grumble but chose to ignore it. He was still on the clock. Meanwhile Lyn finished her food in a jiffy and excused herself. She made her way to the dessert table. Taking a big plate, she stuffed it with all sorts of pastries and went for the garden balcony again.

"Whoa, whoa, are you going to eat all those by yourself?" Lloyd finally caught up with her, eyeing her pile of food. "How hungry are you?"

Lyn turned around and handed him the plate. "It's not for me. It's for you."

"Oh. Thanks." Lloyd took the food from her and sat down to eat.

"You didn't think I'd let you starve, did you? Besides, I heard your 'friend' complain," Lyn poked Lloyd's side.

"Hey!" Lyn smiled at Lloyd's reaction.

"Sorry that's all I could get you. The main courses are served rather than on buffet." Lloyd just nodded and gave her a thumbs up, obviously grateful enough for his dinner. Lyn giggled as she watched Lloyd eat away the pastries. She actually found it quite cute. She then felt her heart flutter for a split second. She immediately shook her head.

"You okay?" Lloyd asked her when he noticed her.

"Oh, it's nothing," Lyn replied, waving it off. She suddenly noticed that there was a smear of frosting on the green ninja's cheek.

"You got a little…" Lyn pointed at her cheek. Lloyd tried to wipe it off like a kid, letting the frosting cover his jacket. Lyn chuckled and pulled out her handkerchief and sat beside the blonde.

"Here. Let me," she offered. She first wiped the frosting on Lloyd's jacket. Then using the other side of the cloth, she gently wiped the smear from him face. Lloyd's face started turning beat red at seeing Lyn's face so close. Lyn on the other hand was too focused on the frosting that she hardly noticed. Only when she put down her handkerchief did she realize that she was only inches from Lloyd's face. She too felt her face heat up and immediately back up, almost falling off the bench.

"I-uh, uhm, sorry," she stammered, putting her handkerchief inside her purse.

"No, it's… it's okay," Lloyd replied, also feeling flustered.

"I-uh… I think I'll go to the bathroom," the brunette said, standing up. She briskly walked towards the door. "You, uh, stay here. I'll be back."

Lloyd watched her leave. He noticed how her hair bounced off her shoulders and how her hips gently swayed as she walked. He then shook his head vigorously. Was he checking her out? What was wrong with him? They were friends! Why would he think like that? Or is that really all they are? He didn't know. He was so tempted to ruffle his hair out of confusion but decided against it, knowing it would blow his somewhat obvious cover. He just sat there, resting his elbows on his knees.

Meanwhile, Lyn was shaking her hands frantically, while pacing around the women's bathroom. "What the heck's wrong with me?! Why didn't I notice his face was so close?! He probably feels awkward now… Not to mention I'm feeling real awkward right now." She leaned in on the huge porcelain sink and took a deep breathe. "Okay. Just go out there, and just be you. Like nothing happened. You'll survive this." A picture of Lloyd's face shone in her mind. His emerald green eyes glistening against the light, his beautiful blonde locks framing his face. Lyn shut her eyes and patted her cheeks with a bit of force. She felt herself blush once more. Come on. Why would she like him? They're just friends. Right?

Suddenly she heard laughter coming her way. Caroline. Lyn ran to the nearest stall and locked the door. Caroline and her entourage entered the bathroom and began touching up their makeup.

"Oh yeah, we should definitely go there again. They have the best food in town," said Bianca as she applied more mascara.

"Totally, " replied Selene as she put on more blush. "I heard Zane served as a chef there a few years ago."

"I for one don't really care," Caroline said, as she painted her lips with glittering lip gloss. "He's not there now, so that place is history. Work with the program, girls. Go where the big timers go if you want to get recognized in this town."

"Alright, alright," replied Selene. "What's got you so worked up?" Caroline pursed her lips.

"I just don't get why Jacquelyn won't hang with us. I mean, come on, we're popular, rich-"

"Pretty?" added Bianca.

"Exactly. And yet she disappears to who knows where, when she could be having fun with us. And I'm not just talking about tonight. I mean, she doesn't even join us in the vacations we take every year! She'd rather go to the park or someplace outdoorsy!" All the girls shuddered at the thought of dirt. "Sometimes I wonder what Vince sees in her."

"Well, her family is the richest amongst us elites," Selene pointed out. "What guy wouldn't want to date an heiress like her?"

"I think Vince would be better off with me than her," replied Caroline now adjusting her curled locks.

"Or me," Bianca muttered. Caroline gave her a short glare.

"Oh please, whatever you see in my brother I'll never know," Selene said putting her hands in the air. "And I don't care if I never will."

"Whatever Selene!" Caroline snapped. "You're just jealous there's no one else in the potential boyfriend's roster that's as prestigious as Vince." Selene just gave a "hmph!" before cockily turning her head away.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Bianca told them. "Let's just get going. The toilet water's getting to my nose."

Lyn heard the clicking of heels as the girls left the bathroom and their voices still talking about Vince. She lifelessly unlocked the stall and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't dislike her social status, but she disliked her peers. She didn't go with them in their outings because everyone only saw each other as friends with benefits. No one really cares what she wanted, or what she wanted to do. Everyone was too concerned of their popularity than to have some real fun like a normal kid, or teen, in their case. She felt her eyes watering up. She immediately wiped her eyes. 'Why should I feel bummed about this? I have friends. True friends.' Then it hit her. 'And I left him outside.' Oops. She immediately fixed herself up, put a few touch ups on her own makeup before heading out.

"Jackie!"

'No. Not now' Lyn walked faster to the balcony , but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She cringed as she turned to see who it was.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you." Lyn coldly moved away from him.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I've been acting. Please give me another chance." Lyn didn't even look at him.

"Did your dad send you to apologize?" She asked, still not facing him.

"No. He didn't. "

"Oh really?"

"Well, okay maybe he did, but I really am sorry. Come on. Please?" Vince took Lyn's hand in his own.

"Hey!" Lyn immediately pulled away. "I'm not your girlfriend, Vince! So stop acting like your my boyfriend."

Vince's expression slowly changed. From a face of begging, it turned into a face of confidence. He leaned in close to Lyn's face. "You and I both know, gorgeous, one way or another, it's gonna be us. That's how it's always been. The rich marries the rich, the elite marries the elite. Their heirs follow the same pattern. So there's no point in putting it off."

Lyn swallowed. He was right. That's how it's always been with Ninjago's elites. However, she looked at Vince in the face, eyes firing with determination. "I will never be yours, Vince. I have the power to choose my destiny, and who I will be with. And it will never be you."

"Excuse me." Somebody suddenly moved between Vince and Lyn. Lloyd blocked Vince's view and Lyn stood right behind him. Vince may be a head taller than him, but Lloyd's physique still made him formidable. "That's enough chat for tonight. The lady is required someplace else."

"And who are you suppose to be?" Vince asked in annoyed tone.

"I'm her bodyguard," Lloyd replied plainly.

Vince scoffed. "Seriously? You got a shorty for a body guard?" He then peered closely at Lloyd. Something about him looked familiar. Then he remembered, stumbling back.

"Ohhh snap! You're the green-"

CRASH!

The glass roof above the room shattered, men in masks descended from the ceiling. Luckily, no one was directly below their area of entrance saving everyone from falling glass shards.

"Okay! Hands up people! Hand over all your jewelry, watches, and whatever valuables you may have on you, and no one gets hurt." The guests immediately began removing their accessories, cufflinks and other belongings and handed them over to the burglars. Lloyd grabbed Lyn's hand and led her back to the girl's bathroom.

"Stay here, and call the police!" He told her and sped out the door.

Lloyd dove behind the nearest buffet table while the criminals were busy lining up the guests against the wall. He surveyed the room. There were at least ten guys in black suites and masks. Two were guarding the main entrance. Three were guarding the hostages, while another three were collecting from the guests who hadn't surrendered their valuables yet. The last two were in the middle of the room talking in a volume too low to for Lloyd to hear. He noticed that the three thieves were making their way to Lyn's parents.

"Nice watch," one of them said to Geoffrey as he held out his hand. "I'll take that." Geoffrey promptly gave it to him

'So much for disguises.' Lloyd thought as he casually got up and walked towards the man who had just taken Geoffrey's watch. He lightly tapped the guy's shoulder, prompting him to look at the green ninja.

"It's not nice to take things that don't belong to you," Lloyd told him. All the criminals stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Lloyd. "Please give that back." He pointed at the loot.

The robber just eyed him like he was crazy before laughing with his partners. The three of them pointed their guns at Lloyd. Before they could fire, Lloyd swung his leg in one swift motion, knocking away their guns. The trio were too shocked to do anything. Lloyd sent another kick towards their faces and knocked them out cold. Then using his spinjitzu, he swept the area taking out the criminals before they even had a chance. Everything happened so fast, the none of the men in black had time to assess the situation.

Lloyd's green tornado finally disappeared, leaving the ten assailants sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Then as if one cue, the doors of the ballroom burst open revealing an old man with a huge white beard.

"Ninjago City Police!" his subordinates yelled. The police began to round up the crooks as the police chief approached Lloyd.

"Well, well. Lloyd Garmadon," the chief said. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"It's a long story chief." Lloyd said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well whatever the reason, I'd suggest you start telling what went down here, since it looks like you're the only one calm enough to talk right now." Lloyd obliged and told the chief what happened. After conversing with the police, he headed over to one of the tables, where the party guests were being treated. Others were slowly being released so that they could be sent home. Fortunately Lyn was still there with her family, wrapped in blankets. The green ninja hurried his way to them.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked them.

"Yes, we're fine," replied Geoffrey. "Thanks to you, Green Ninja."

"And since we're okay," Lyn said while pointing her finger to another table. "You might want to get out of here." Lloyd followed Lyn's finger and saw Caroline and her squad holding out their phones to take photos of him.

"Seriously?" Lloyd then looked back at Lyn then turned to face her father. "I hope it's ok that I leave first."

"Of course. I understand. Being a celebrity is no walk in the park," replied Geoffrey with a chuckle.

Lloyd smiled. "In that case, I wish you all a good night." He then headed to the nearest ledge before jumping off to summon his elemental dragon to take him home.

Lyn shook her head as she watched him disappear into the night.

'Show off.'

* * *

 ***In Mushu's voice* "I LIIIIIIVE!"**

 **Hi everyone! I'm finally back and ready to take on my stories again! Sorry I've been gone for 5 months and I hope to make up for lost time during my break.**

 **Also thank you for your reviews in Chapter 2. Special thank you to JayFan67 and The Mayor of Ninjago City for your suggestions. I really appreciated them and they were a big help in making this chapter.**

 **To MMM, yes Vince is back. As for the two other questions, you're gonna have to keep reading to find out. ;)**

 **Chapter 4 is already in the works so let's all hope it'll be out real soon. Love you all ~ Snowflakeshard**


	4. Chapter 4

It was about eleven in the evening when Lloyd returned to the Bounty. It was dark and quiet. Every one must have gone off to bed. Good. Lloyd snuck inside and turned to the hallway leading to his room. The door slowly opened with a creak. Lloyd entered and softly closed the door behind him. It was dark alright, but the moonlight shined through the blinds and landed on the wooden floor. As Lloyd tiptoed his way towards his bed, he felt something was off. He turned around and the first thing he sees were a pair of two bright blue orbs, followed by its silhouette of a body, accompanied by three others.

"Aw man," Lloyd said as the lights were flicked on with Kai leaning on the side of the switch. The rest of the ninja gave Lloyd a serious look. Lloyd swallowed.

"Hey, guys…" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "What are you all doing up so late?"

"That's what we want to ask you, Mister-Sneaking-Out-Behind-Our-Backs!" Jay said in a tone more annoyed than angered.

Lloyd tried to evade as he pretended to yawn. "You know what I'd love to talk some more but I'm tired so let's just talk tomorrow okay- Hey!" He found himself being carried by Cole and the five of them headed out of their bed room.

"Hey put me down, Cole! I'm not a kid anymore! You can't do this! This is an invasion of personal space!"

"Can't do it, Green Machine," Cole told him. "We have questions that need answering, and you're not getting away easily this time." Lloyd crossed his arms.

"Fine, sheesh. At least tell me where we're going."

The group made their way to the bridge. Cole put Lloyd down. Zane stood near the table while Jay sat on it. Kai closed the door and leaned against it. Cole turned on the TV and switched to the local news.

" _This is Gayle Gossip with breaking news, reporting live from Lotus Garden Hotel, where an interesting story awaits. It's that time of the year where the most prominent business people and corporate giants gather to celebrate what's known as Ninjago's Grand Business Gala. In the middle of the party some armed robbers crashed into the scene and began looting the guests. However, the Green Ninja appeared in the midst of the crime and thwarted said criminals. How did the Green Ninja arrive just in the nick of time? Witnesses believe that the Green Ninja attended the party as a guest. Others say he was attending as someone's body guard. Other sources also say that he went as someone's date. Perhaps a celebrity? We don't know for sure_. _This is Gayle Gossip-"_

Cole switched off the TV. Kai then approached Lloyd with a stern look on his face. His arms were also crossed as he raised a brow. "So, you've got a sideline it seems."

"What?!" Lloyd replied. "No. It's not like that."

"I knew something was up!" added Jay as he jumped off the table to circle around Lloyd like some vulture. "Didn't I tell you guys something was up? You're on every channel, Lloyd!"

"Give him room to explain himself," Zane intervened. "Lloyd has never been one for brash actions." 'Thank you, Zane.' Lloyd thought.

"Zane's right," Cole said as he put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Okay Lloyd, what's up with you? Why have you been sneaking out lately? You've become real distant from us. Is it because of those rich guys?"

"And what's with the fancy getup?" Jay added as he began feeling the jacket that Lloyd was still wearing. "Now that's high class tailoring right there."

"Lemme see that," Kai said as he put his hand on Lloyd's shoulders to feel the fabric. "Wow, it is! Lloyd, how can you even pay for such a suit? And why were you at the hottest party of the year?"

"Hey, quit it!" Lloyd abrasively removed his teammates hands off him and moved away from them. He then dusted himself off, as if Kai and Jay transferred some sort of disease on then removed his jacket and folded it neatly on his arm. "First of all, it was a gift. Second of all, I needed one for _that_ party."

"Okay, but why were you at _that_ party?" Cole continued to probe. "You endorsing a new product or something?"

"No that's not it!" Lloyd was starting to yell now.

"Then quit whining and just tell us!" Jay yelled back.

"I suggest you stop pressuring him, Jay," Zane spoke up once more. "Let him tell his tale at his own-"

"Shut it, Zane!"

"No way! I'll never hear the end of it! I have rights to privacy too you know!" Lloyd said to them, the volume of his voice higher than ever.

"Shhh!" Kai put his finger to his lips. "Not so loud! Or you'll wake-"

Too late. The door creaked open revealing Sensei Wu and Nya right behind him.

"Boys," Wu began. "Why are you raising your voices at such a late hour?"

"Yeah guys," Nya said as she rubbed her eyes to get a better view of what was happening. "What's all the- Oh." She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Lloyd still in his formal wear.

"You knew?!" Jay asked Nya, pointing a finger at her. Nya raised her hands in defense.

"Hey, I just knew a few days ago." She then turned around. "Guess I'm not needed here. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Try to keep the volume low could you?" She then shuffled her way back to her room.

"We're gonna have to talk about this tomorrow!" Jay called out to her as she disappeared. Kai then closed the door once more to enclose the ruckus they were making.

"So, Lloyd," Sensei resumed. "You're looking…sharp." Even he wasn't used to looking at his students or his nephew in such chic attire.

"Sensei!" Jay started. "He's been sneaking out, hanging out with rich people, and buying suits beyond his allowance!" He did this whilst pointing his finger at the Green Ninja accusingly. Wu paused before deciding to speak. He then stroke his beard as he started talking.

"What have you been doing, Lloyd? Why are you keeping secrets from your brothers? Don't you trust them anymore?" Lloyd hung his head. It's not that he wanted to be secretive about it, he just didn't know how to assess the situation, and he was so sure telling his brothers would turn things for the worse on his end.

"It's not that, Sensei."

"Then, what is it? You know nephew, trust is important to have in a good team. If one of them does something behind the others' backs, you are breaching their trust, and that will be hard to regain."

"I know Sensei. I just don't know if I'm comfortable in sharing what I've been up to lately. If I do, I don't think I'll ever have time for myself again."

"What have you been doing exactly?" Kai asked. The other ninja were already leaning forward, ever so curious to what their younger brother would say. Lloyd took notice of this and bit his lip.

"It is best you let it out, Lloyd," Wu coaxed him. "It'll be easier for you and everyone else in the near future."

Seeing that he had no choice but to come clean, Lloyd took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay. But you guys have to promise me not to laugh about it, or bring it up to the point that you'll invade my personal space." He looked at his brothers dead in the eye.

"Got it," Kai said.

"Sure," Cole replied.

"You have my word." Zane then turns off his humor switch.

For Jay it was harder. He inhaled for a while before belching out an "Okay, fine!"

Lloyd took a deep breath before continuing. He had to make sure he said this clearly to avoid repetition. "Remember during Valentine's Day? I met someone, a girl."

"A GIRL?!" Kai, Cole and Jay yelled in unison. Sensei raised his hand to quiet them. They covered their mouths so that Lloyd could proceed.

"Well, I didn't think she was a girl at first, 'cause she dressed up like a guy that day. We ended up hanging out after that and she asked me to be her bodyguard tonight, because there's this guy who keeps following her. It just so happens that I was there when the guests were getting robbed. So yeah, that's what I've been up to." When he finished, he looked at his teammates. As expected, his teammates were stifling their laughter to the point that they were holding each other's mouths and not their own. Zane, true to his word, didn't say anything. Thus he was the first to speak.

"Who's this girl, if I may ask?"

"Her name's Jacquelyn, but she goes by Lyn."

GASP!

Kai, Cole and Jay finally let go of each other and began catching their breathes. They were too tired to laugh now and decided to regain the air they just lost.

"Okay- so-" Kai stated between breathes. "You met this Lyn during Valentine's day and mistook her for a boy."

"Yes."

"You pretended to be her bodyguard to protect her from some sort of stalker," Cole continued.

"Not pretend, but yeah I was her temporary bodyguard."

"And you just happen to be at the hottest party in town, where some crooks decide to drop by and loot, allowing you to kick butt and save the day?" Jay finished.

"Yes. That's what I just said." Lloyd said in an annoyed tone. For a while no one spoke. Then the three boys crowded around him and simultaneously gave him a slap on the back. Lloyd felt the air knocked out of him, and instead of hearing insults, he heard quite the opposite.

"Way to go, Lloyd!" Jay said.

"Can't believe my boy's now a man!" Kai exclaimed.

"Alright! Go Lloyd!" Cole added. Even Zane without his humor switch complemented for a job well done. Lloyd couldn't believe his ears.

"Wait, what?!"

"You've scored a good one, Lloyd. A girl who pretended to be a guy. A girl of surprises." Kai said. Lloyd rolled his eyes at this.

"And agreeing to be her bodyguard, even if you blew your cover. Nice!" Jay complemented.

"And singlehandedly defeating a bunch of criminals and saved the day! In an expensive suit no less," added Cole.

"Indeed," Zane concluded. "Your deeds were very noble."

"Wow you guys," replied Lloyd. "I never expected you to say that."

"Oh man Lloyd," Kai spoke up again. "You'll sweep this girl off her feet in no time."

"I- wait, what?"

"It's obvious you like this girl. Just continue what you're doing, and she's yours."

Lloyd put his hands in his face in frustration. Of course Kai would think this way. "That's not how it is, okay? We're just friends, nothing more. She sees me as a friend and I see her as a friend too. There's nothing beyond us than that." The ninja then peered closer at him like they were looking into his soul.

"Just you wait, Lloyd. It's not long before you fall for this girl," Jay told him.

"After a while, you'll start wondering, 'Are we still just friends or something more?'" Cole added.

"Then you'll realize you love her and can't live without her," Zane continued.

"And you'll do everything you can to be with her and never let her go," Kai finished.

"I-uh" Lloyd immediately turned around before his friends could catch him blush. Besides, it was too early to think about those things. They just met a few weeks ago. Surely that wasn't enough to start a romantic relationship. Besides, they were just friends. Right? "We're just friends. That's it. Can't you guys respect that decision?"

"Alright, that's enough, students," Sensei Wu finally intervened. "Do not push your brother to say anymore. Let's each respect each other's decisions and views. It's late. Every one back to bed. We still have a long day ahead of us."

Everyone nodded with a "Yes, Sensei" and proceeded to their sleeping quarters.

As everyone lay on their beds sound asleep, Lloyd still tossed and turned. He couldn't get what his teammates said to him. Is that the inevitable for him and Lyn? Can't he have a friend outside his team who just wanted to have fun? Someone who still saw him as someone other than the Green Ninja, but a young man, who at his core, was still a boy who wants to relive his childhood every now and then? Can't he at least have that? Lloyd pondered on these questions. He then checked his phone and saw that he had a text message. He opened it and a smile crept on his lips. It was from Lyn.

 _I'm sorry for the trouble l caused you, but I'm glad you agreed to go anyway. Thank you so much! See ya soon!_

Lloyd turned off his phone and closed his eyes. 'Yeah, just friends.'

* * *

 **Yes! Another chapter posted within a week! Thank you again for all the reviews! What do you guys think of the ninja's reaction to their baby brother "growing up"? I'd love to know XD**

 **MMM -** Will Lloyd and Lyn get together? you're gonna have to keep reading to find out.

Would I write a one shot of Lloyd and Lyn doing M rated? No. I'm sorry but absolutely not. I'm not comfortable with writing M rated stories. I hope you understand.

 **Till the next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry it's been a while again. School's back and it's really been hectic for me. I actually just finished this chapter while attending a party! Without further ado, here's chapter 5! :)**

* * *

The next day, as expected, the press was hot on Lloyd's trail, desperate to get a scoop on what went down last night. Although the police provided decent information regarding the incident, the reporters were more interested in knowing Lloyd's connection with his so-called "date" as some have come to call it. Dareth found this a huge boost to their publicity and sought to make a story out of it even if it didn't stick to the truth. However, Lloyd immediately called him and told him not to do anything like that, because he knew Lyn would also suffer the consequences. Dareth, not wanting to miss the opportunity for a good scoop, arranged Lloyd to be a special guest of a talk show instead. The talk show host bombarded Lloyd with all sorts of questions, ranging from who's the mystery girl to what kind of girls did Lloyd like. The green ninja did his best to answer the questions while keeping his cool and at the same time leaving Lyn's identity anonymous. In the end, the talk show host didn't get much out of him, much to Lloyd's relief. After that, the excitement slowly died down and the Green Ninja was granted his peace and quiet.

One Saturday afternoon, after training was over, Lloyd plopped into his bed to relax. He then looked at his phone. No messages. Again. It's been about two weeks since the Business Gala and neither Lloyd or Lyn had spoken to each other since. Should he text her? Maybe she was busy. But it was a text, so she can answer it later.

 _Hey, Lyn. I hope you're doing okay, despite the commotion._

He put his phone away and waited. After five minutes, his phone buzzed. He immediately looked to see who it was, and sure enough, it was her.

 _Hey. I'm doing okay. You would not believe the hounding Caroline has been doing to get me to spill on you._

 _Oh, yeah?_

 _Yeah_

 _Hmmm, hey are you busy right now?_

 _No, why?_

 _Wanna hang out?_

 _Sure. Where do you wanna meet?_

Lloyd thought for a moment. _Let's see. Doomsday Comix?_ His reason behind this was that he wanted to see if the new issue of Starfarer was still in stock. So he sincerely hoped Lyn knew where that was, and that it didn't sound like a stupid suggestion. His phone buzzed again.

 _Sure. Let's meet in an hour. See you there._

Lloyd briskly changed from his ninja gi to his signature shirt and jeans. He took his trusty fedora from his closet and left the room. Lloyd slowly made his way to the deck. He was about to leap

off the edge when he heard voices behind him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you're going?" Jay told him. Lloyd rolled his eyes and turned to see the rest of the ninja looking at him with disapproving eyes.

"You're not sneaking out again, are you?" Cole said.

"And here I thought we established the meaning of trusting one another," Kai added. Zane didn't say anything. He just looked at Lloyd with a monotone face, but Lloyd could feel a tint of sadness in his eyes. Lloyd sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm going out to meet Lyn."

"Oh, I'm sure," Kai said sarcastically.

"What bothers us Lloyd," Zane finally said. "Is that we already discussed how trust is important to all of us, and you still continue to breach our trust with what you're doing."

"Yeah," Jay added. "What happened to the Lloyd who put the needs of the team above his own?" Lloyd hung his head. They were right. He was never like this before. He always focused on his training, his destiny, his team. But now someone new came into the picture. Someone who was outside all of that. His he finally had a chance to experience a normal life, and it never felt better. No responsibilities, not thinking about the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the joy of having friends. Sure he had his brothers, but they all had lives prior their ninja careers. All he knew was Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys, then them. Lyn was someone who bridged him back to the world he never really got to experience. Lloyd slumped back to the floor, his hands on his head.

"I'm so sorry everyone. I didn't mean for things to get this bad. But Lyn's a good person. She's the only friend I have outside all of _this._ " He gestured around the ship and his friends. "It's not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you guys, but Lyn's someone who I can relate to in the outside world." His brothers looked at each other. There was silence between the five of them. It was then broken with a sigh.

"Alright, Lloyd," Kai said. "I get what you mean. I know you've been pressured all your life. I guess you deserve some time off for yourself." Lloyd looked up.

"Really?"

"Really," Cole told him. "I know what it's like to have to meet so much expectations. A little breather never hurt anyone."

"Just make sure not to neglect your responsibilities," Zane added. "There must always be a balance between desire and duty."

Lloyd smiled and felt his heart swell with you and relief. He then tackled his teammates with a hug. "Thanks, guys." The rest of the ninja returned the gesture.

"Anytime, Lloyd," Jay said as they pulled away. "Just make sure that we get to meet this Lyn too."

"Oh, yeah. That too!" Kai said with a smirk.

"Guys!" Lloyd retorted resulting in a chuckle from the four of them.

"We're kidding, okay?" Cole replied. "But seriously, bring her around some time. We'd love to meet her."

"Have a good time!" they called to him as he prepared to leave once more. Lloyd jumped off the deck and was off.

"Er, should we follow him?"

"JAY!"

"I'm kidding!"

Lloyd landed at a secluded alleyway in Ninjago City and walked the rest of the way to avoid attention. The door's bell jingled as he entered. There were some kids here and there looking at some comic books and others were admiring toys, costume and other products. The blonde boy looked around for Lyn but she was nowhere in sight. He decided to look for the latest issue of Starfarer comics while waiting. He walked up to the counter where a big man in a pony tail and beard was reading.

"Hey, Mother Doomsday." The man diverted his eyes from his reading material and looked at his customer. He squinted his eyes for a moment before finally breaking into a smile.

"Well, well. If it isn't L-" Lloyd put a finger to his lips.

"Uh, my favorite customer," Rufus MacAllister put his book down and leaned on the counter. "What can I do for you this fine day?"

"Well, for starters, do you still have stock of the latest issue of Starfarer?"

"Well you're in luck this time, LG," Rufus told him as he reached behind the counter to pull out said merchandise. "There's still a few copies left. Here." Lloyd thanked the man and paid for his purchase.

"Hey," Rufus told him. "I've got a small reading area at the back. Been planning to expand it so customers can come back for more comic books if they want to. Wanna check it out?"

"Sure." Rufus lead Lloyd to a back room. When he opened the door, Lloyd was greeted with a wooden tiled floor. There were couches here and there with coffee tables and some knick knack shelves hanging on the walls. Lloyd whistled. "Cool."

"Make yourself at home," Rufus told him. "I might open this to the public next month. Tell me what you think of it."

"I will," Lloyd replied. The older man closed the door behind him as Lloyd sat a comfortable bean bag and opened his comic book.

"Oh, Fritz Donnegan. It's been a long time since we've crossed paths. Now, let's find out what happened to the imperial sludge." Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He immediately fished for it in his pocket. His eyes went wide when he saw Lyn's name the screen. He immediately opened the text to read it.

 _Hey. Where are you? I'm at Doomsday Comix but I don't see you anywhere._

LLoyd scrambled to his feet and went out of the secret room. His eyes scanned the scene, hoping to catch a glimpse of the brunette, wishing that she didn't think that he stood her up. As he looked around, he couldn't see her anywhere either. He decided to call.

"Hey. I'm here at the comic aisles. Where are you exactly?"

"Look to your left."

Lloyd looked to his side and saw a boy with a maroon cap standing at the end of the aisle looking at him. He was wearing a loose grey sweatshirt and jeans. The blonde furrowed his brow puzzled. The boy then approached him and waved.

"Oh, I didn't recognize you for a minute," Lloyd told Lyn as she closed the distance between them.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lyn said whilst trying to deepen her voice.

"Why are you disguising yourself again?"

"Just in case I get chased by the press. Or Caroline. Or Vince." She shuddered at the last part. Lloyd chuckled.

"Okay, okay. So, have you been here before?"

Lyn sighed. "Yeah. I used to come here when I was a kid. My older cousins would show me a lot of comic books to read." That caught the Green Ninja's attention.

"Really? What comics do you read?" Lyn pursed her lips in thought.

"Hmmm. Well, my cousins used to lend me Private Eye Comics and War Between the Skies. And I've been quite curious about Fritz Donnegan, but I haven't started reading his series yet."

"You haven't read Fritz Donnegan?!" Lloyd said in a slightly high volume. Lyn held up her hands.

"Calm down, okay? I haven't really read any comics since my cousins moved away, along with their comic book collection. I tried coming back here to buy my own but school and judgmental people keep stopping me."

"Oh. Anyways, why don't you pick something you like? Mother Doomsday's got a place at the back to read."

Lyn nodded and scoured the shelves. The girl's eyes lit up as she saw her favorite reads as a child pop up here and there. She looked like a typical girl during a midnight sale. Lloyd watched her happily as Lyn's arms were loaded with comics.

"Hey slow down," Lloyd laughingly told the brunette. "These guys aren't going anywhere. Well, unless you're looking for a latest issue." Lyn looked at him with a determined face.

"I don't know how long I have until I get back here again. And I've missed this during my childhood. I'm here now and I'm going to read these comics till my eyes bleed! _Capish_?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Lloyd replied with his hands up signaling surrender. Lyn continued with her hunt until she was satisfied with her loot. She then proceeded to the counter where Lloyd joined her to introduce her to Rufus.

"A friend of yours?" Rufus casually asked. Lloyd nodded.

"Lyn, meet Rufus MacAllister, aka Mother Doomsday," Lyn shook Rufus' hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. MacAllister." Rufus flashed a smile.

"Please, call me Rufus. Or Mother Doomsday, whichever you prefer."

"Is it okay if Lyn and I hang out at the back?" Lloyd asked the man.

"No problem, go right ahead." Rufus gestured to the back.

"Thank you very much, Mother Doomsday," Lyn proceeded to the room and Lloyd followed her, but not before receiving a tap on his shoulder. Rufus then whispered to him.

"Lloyd, I know you're a good boy and all, and I'm sure Lyn is a nice girl. But please, no funny business while in there, alright?" Lloyd froze at the statement. His face started to turn red as he looked down trying to cover his eyes with his fedora, but immediately mustered up the courage to face the store owner.

"Don't worry Mother Doomsday. Lyn and I are just friends." Rufus nodded before letting Lloyd off. The blonde entered the room and found Lyn sitting comfortably on a purple bean bag chair, already reading.

"Hey, what kept you?" she asked.

"Nothing really. Rufus and I just chatted a bit." Lyn shrugged and resumed reading. Lloyd made himself comfortable and opened his own comic book.

'Alright. Let's do this.'

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter feels kinda short, but I'll do better in the next chapter. Thank you once again for your reviews! Looking forward for more! As for Titanium Knight, I might have the next chapter out in the middle of December, or at least before Christmas. I just don't have enough time to get it done. But it will be out by next month.**

 **Until next time! ~ SnowflakeShard**


	6. Chapter 6

Lloyd closed his comic book and placed it on his lap. He looked to where Lyn was and saw that she already had two comics down and was on her third.

"Wow, you sure read fast," he said to her. It took a few seconds for Lyn to respond. She closed her reading material before turning her head.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said, 'You sure read fast.'" Lloyd said once more. Lyn simply flashed a smile.

"What? They were awesome!"

"Anyway," the Green Ninja continued. "Why did you reveal yourself to Mother Doomsday? I thought you were undercover." Lyn looked up as she leaned her head on the chair.

"Well, he seemed like a good and trustworthy person. I get that you two know each other."

"Yeah, me and Rufus go way back."

Lyn nodded. "You obviously trust him and it seemed that he didn't tell on you, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Wow, you can read people pretty well," Lloyd said in impressed tone. Lyn shrugged her shoulders.

"Not always. Sometimes people tend to be an open book. Besides, since he's allowed us hang out here, I thought it would be wrong to betray his trust, you know?" Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. He remembered how he treated the other ninja, still keeping them in the dark even after everything they discussed. He needed to change that.

"Hey, you okay?" He heard Lyn ask him. "You kinda disappeared for a while there."

"Uh yeah, I'm okay. It's just that I've got something in my mind lately. My teammates."

"Is something wrong? Did you guys argue or something?"

"Argue's more like it. I kinda haven't told anything about you yet."

"What do you mean by that?" Lyn changed her position from sitting to lying on her belly on the bean bag chair to face Lloyd properly.

"Well, ever since we met..." Lloyd paused. For some reason, telling her this stuff made him feel awkward. He took a short breathe then continued. "I kinda never told the guys about you. Every time we'd hang out, I'd sneak out of the Bounty to see you." The air became silent. Lyn didn't know what to say. It felt weird yet relieving to be "the mystery girl."

"Why… didn't you? I mean, I'm sure you had your reasons, but…"

"Well, I kinda… well, knew that they would immediately assume you're my girlfriend or something." Lloyd said this while fidgeting with his fingers. He felt the heat rise from his neck to his ears and cheeks. Lyn too felt her cheeks heat up. She buried her face in her arms.

"What did you say to them?" She asked, taking a peek at the Green Ninja, who was turning his head around.

"Well, I said uh-… That we're just… friends." There was a long silence between the two. Both were in a state of embarrassment and awkwardness. It's true that they saw each other as friends. So why would they feel this way? Now neither knew what to talk about. The brunette was first to break the tension.

"Well, they do seem like interesting characters." After saying that she then proceeded to change the topic. "So, what's going on with you, nowadays? I heard that the press have been chasing you nonstop." Lloyd groaned at the memory.

"Ugh, don't remind me. That was torture. I'd rather clean the training deck for a month than live through that again."

"It was that bad, huh?"

"Yup. Speaking of which, what about you? You said that Caroline's trying to get you to spill." Lloyd shifted his weight on the beanbag chair to face the girl properly and leaned his head on his hand.

"Jeez, yes! After the Gala, my phone's been flooded with messages from her, Selene and Bianca."

"What'd they say?" Lyn pulled her phone from her pocket and ran through her inbox with her thumb.

"Things like 'OMG Lyn! You're friends with the Green Ninja?', 'You should introduce us sometime' or 'How'd you two meet'.." the list just continued. Lloyd leaned back and rested the back of his head on his hands as he listened.

"They even went so far to say 'Is the Green Ninja your boyfrie-!" Lyn stopped reading midsentence. She felt her cheeks heat up again. Lloyd also flinched and felt the warm reach his ears. He shook off the feeling, remembering that the press asked him the same questions. He let out a chuckle.

"So I guess the guys are not the only ones who thought so," Lloyd stated.

"Yeah, I'm not reading that last one again," the girl replied as she tucked her phone away.

"So they think you and I are," Lloyd commented as he gestured with his hands.

"Apparently. But why? We're just, friends. Right?"

"Right."

"Ok, enough about the press and the suck ups," Lyn said. "Tell me what's been going on in the Bounty. What's it like up there?"

"Well, since you ask, nothing much," Lloyd replied. "All we do is train. Day in day out."

"What about your show?"

"Oh, yeah. We do that in a filming studio. We normally do that on weekends."

"Isn't today a weekend?"

"We ended early today. When we're not busy, we usually hang out in the Bounty playing chess, video games, or simply chilling."

"Must be nice, having friends like yours," Lyn said dreamily. "To have friends who take you for who you are, no pretenses, and just have plain old fun."

"Yeah, the guys are alright. Hey, if you want, I could introduce you to them," Lloyd told her. He might regret it later on, but he knew how desperate Lyn was for real friends, and he knew the other ninja would never hurt her.

"You mean it?" Lyn asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Yeah, I mean it. Besides, they want to meet you too." A laugh escaped Lyn's lips.

"Alright, the next time we meet, let's all hang out then."

"Deal."

"How'd you get so lucky to have such awesome friends?" Lyn continued. She was obviously green with envy at Lloyd's relationships. Growing up with kids who didn't really care made her childhood not really all that memorable. She decided to focus on her studies and took any outdoor trip she could with her family and relatives to escape the environment.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Lloyd replied. "I never really met them until I left Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys. My life wasn't always like this."

"Yeah, you told me about the tea that made you older."

"Did you know it happened at this very store?" Lyn's eyes went wide.

"No! Really?"

"Really."

"Doesn't it bother you? I mean coming back here? The place where you lost your childhood?" Lloyd shrugged.

"It's not all that bad. Sure I had to sacrifice several years of my life, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. My friends were in danger and I was willing to do anything to help them. Besides, I got to save my dad, save the world. And I got to meet you." Lloyd felt himself blush once more as he said the last part. He hoped that it didn't sound romantic. He was just being genuine.

"Yeah, I'm glad I met you too," Lyn said with a smile. "If we hadn't met, I wonder what would've happened to me that day." The girl then thought of something. "Hey, speaking of which, how old are you exactly?"

"Huh?"

"If the tea made you older, how many years did you accelerate?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "I honestly don't know. I never really gave it that much thought. I was ten years old at the time, and I think it accelerated my age about five or six years. And that was almost three years ago. So I'd say I'm eighteen or nineteen years old at this point."

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm nineteen years old. I'm a freshman at the Ninjago City University."

"Ninjago City University?"

"You've never been to NCU?" Lloyd shook his head.

"But you know what college is, right?" Another shake of the head. Lyn facepalmed.

"That's something I definitely did not expect. Tell you what: when summer rolls around, just before class ends, I'll take you to see it."

"Okay," the boy simply replied. "Wait, what is 'college' exactly?"

Before Lyn could answer, the door opened with Rufus on the other side, startling both of them.

"I'm sorry, kids, but I gotta close the shop." Lyn glanced at her watch. It read 7:30 pm.

"Sorry, Mother Doomsday, we kinda lost track of time." Lyn said. "We'll get out of your hair now." She and Lloyd got up, grabbed their comics books, thanked Rufus, and left the store.

The pair walked side by side through the streets of the city, the lampposts lighting their steps. Both were still in their disguises, but Lyn had put her hair down from her cap and turned it into a side braid. They were both headed for Lyn's building after Lloyd offered to accompany her back home, saying he was concerned for her safety.

"You don't have to walk me home, you know? I can get home by myself," Lyn said to the Green Ninja. "It's a safe street anyway, and it's not that far."

"We're just being cautious, okay?" Lloyd told her. "There's nothing wrong with being too careful."

Lyn just shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"Hey, so what _is_ college?"

"Oh right. College is the next step after high school. You choose a course that you want to learn, which will help you land a job after you graduate. Some courses take three years, while others take four." Lloyd listened as much as he could. He was so intrigued, knowing that he hasn't entered school in a long time. "You take different sets of classes, choose your own schedules, have projects, all that stuff."

"And what course did _you_ take?" Lloyd finally asked.

"Well, I'm taking business management, so that I can prepare in taking Dad's place when he retires. Or at least, that's what he wants me to do."

"What he wants you to do? What about you? What do you want to do?" The blonde asked her. The brunette stopped walking to think.

"I never really thought about it. I'm actually quite content with where I am. Well, except for the socialite suck ups."

"Huh, seems like you and I aren't all that different after all," Lloyd replied as they continued walking.

"How so?"

"Our destinies seemed to have been chosen for us, and we kinda just accepted it."

"Huh, you're right. If I didn't accept it, Dad would have to sell his business or hand it over to someone else if I don't step up."

"And Ninjago would fall into peril if I didn't accept the role of the Green Ninja."

"You just have to accept the responsibility."

"Or suffer the consequences."

"Oh! We're here!" The pair stopped in front of the glass skyscraper. Lyn turned to Lloyd to say goodbye.

"Well, thanks for walking me home."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad I got to see you home safely. See ya." The Green Ninja turned to go.

"Lloyd, wait," Lyn called after him. Lloyd turned around to face her.

"Thank you for today," the girl told him. "I really needed it. Can't wait to hang out again next time."

Lloyd simply smiled. "You're welcome, Lyn. I enjoyed today too."

"Good night, Lloyd," the girl said before entering the building through its huge glass revolving doors. The Green Ninja turned and left. 'So we aren't entirely different,' Lloyd thought to himself. Lyn and him may be a 'world' apart, but their worlds were similar in some ways. He thought he was the only one who had a responsibility to carry on his shoulders. Apparently, someone else does too. It may not be as heavy as his, but at least it's something both of them can voice out to each other, and that made him happy. As his thoughts circulated in his head, he headed for an abandoned alleyway before summoning his dragon and flying home to the Bounty.

* * *

 **Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone is having a blast as the year comes to a close.**

 **Just to clear up some things: the part where Lloyd talks about how much time had passed since season 1, that's just a headcanon of mine. This story takes place after the season Skybound and the events of DotD may or may not affect this story.**

 **Thank you again for your reviews. It really keeps me going and it reminds me that there are still people reading this story. Happy Holidays once again! ~ SnowflakeShard**


	7. Chapter 7

Lyn entered the grand building, greeted by the huge crystal chandeliers above her. She walked along the shiny granite floor as she headed to the elevator. She greeted the receptionists as she walked, giving them a friendly wave, which they returned. The people at the tower were fond of Lyn because she would often talk to the staff whenever she passed them by. She never acted like a snob and always offered a hand when she saw that they needed it. Lyn reached the elevator and pushed the up button. When the shiny doors opened, she stepped in and pressed the button of the top floor. As the elevator swiftly but smoothly rose up, the brunette leaned against the clear mirrored wall, staring at her reflection in a daze.

'I wish I met him sooner,' Lyn thought as she looked at her own face. Finally, after so many years, she met someone who she could stand on equal ground with. She loved spending time with the Green Ninja and wished she could see him more often. Being with him made her feel… at home, like she belonged. Whenever she was with Caroline and the others, she never fitted in. Although she had no problem being alone, but having a friend when you were lonely was a different story. And Lloyd fit the bill like a glove. He was plain, honest, and fun. She wished to see him again, see his contagious smile, his golden yellow hair, his captivating green eyes… wait what?

She realized what she was thinking and felt her cheeks flush. Her chest started to tighten and she felt her pulse quicken. Lyn shook her head, trying to get rid of this weird feeling. She looked at herself in the mirror and patted her cheeks.

'What's going on? Why do I feel this way?'

Suddenly, the elevator bell rang, startling the young girl. The doors opened and Lyn strode to the dark brown mahogany double doors at the end of the hall. She went right inside and saw that her mother was sitting on the couch in their carpeted living room.

"Hi, Sweetie!" Her mother greeted as she turned her head to look at her daughter. She eyed the brunette as she examined her clothing. "Why dressed like that?"

"Oh, I went out," Lyn replied casually. "Incognito style." She said the last part with a tone of playfulness. Olivia gave a small chuckle. She knew of Lyn's habit of going in public in disguise, and she found it quite amusing. Her daughter then looked around and saw no sign of her father. "Hey, where's dad?"

"Oh your father's had a business meeting and it ran late," Olivia replied as she turned her head back to her activity, which was reading a book and browsing her phone for messages.

"Oh, ok. I'll be in the dining room." With that Lyn strode into the other room partitioned by a beige wall. She sat down on a long dining table and saw the food prepared for her. Lyn was known to come home at night so her parents had her meals set aside in case she came home late. She looked at her dinner for the night: mashed potatoes with two slices of ribs and some vegetables at the side. Her stomach rumbled signaling her not to wait any longer. She downed her food immediately. Afterwards, she cleared the table and proceeded to wash the dishes. The house helps had gone home already, so she was used to tidying things up herself. She exited the dining room and turned towards a short hallway. Stopping at a dark brown door with slight sliver accents, she pushed open the door to her room and went in. Closing the door behind her, she spotted her bed and immediately crashed into it.

She wanted to sleep, but todays events just kept replaying in her head. She wanted to talk more, hang out more. And she also wanted to meet the ninja. If Lloyd behaved the way he did, how much more his entire team? Granted, both of them would have to endure teasing from his brothers, but that's a small price she was willing to pay.

'I wonder what they're like,' Lyn thought. 'I wonder what kind of get together we should have.' She then turned her body around, let her back lie flat on her bed. She looked to her left, where her study desk stood, and saw the stack of books and papers she left.

'Right, priorities.' She got off her bed, sat on her swivel chair and proceeded to do her homework, or what's left of it anyway. Most of it she had already done the day before. Since she couldn't sleep, might as well do something productive.

As she started reading her textbook and answering several questions, her thoughts began to drift once more. She thought what it would be like if Lloyd was in college with her. What course would he choose? Would they be in the same classes? Would their schedules even match so that they could still meet? Or perhaps they could have lunch in the cafeteria together or the café near the library.

Lyn sighed. 'That would be great.' She then snapped out of her thoughts. She shook her head vigorously. 'What am I thinking? Could I be…?' The girl stood up and paced around her room. She let out an insecure laugh.

"Ha! Me and Lloyd? Pfft, as if that would happen!" She inhaled then exhaled. "We're friends. Just friends." She then went back to work, repeating the last part again and again. After ten minutes or so, her phone beeped, telling her that she had a text message. So she opened the screen and her heart skipped a beat, much to her annoyance. It was Lloyd.

" _Hey Lyn. I hope I'm not disturbing you. I told the guys that you wanted to meet them and they're really pumped up about meeting you. We were hoping you could visit the Bounty and hang out with us in the afternoon next weekend. Is that okay with you?"_

Lyn's eyes brightened with excitement. She was clearly eager to meet the rest of the ninja and spend time with them. Her earlier insecurities were slowly drowned by feelings of exuberance.

" _No it's okay. Me, visit the Bounty? I'm so in!"_ She pressed "Send" and waited a while. Her phone finally beeped again with a other message.

 _Great! I'll pick you up at 2 pm next Saturday?_

 _It's a deal. See you then_

Lyn silently clapped her hands and gave a squeal of delight before going back to her studies. Things were really looking up for her, as far as the brunette was concerned.

* * *

Lloyd flew back to the Bounty and landed on the deck. Silence. He exhaled as he went down the hall. He then heard noise coming from the living room. Instead of heading to their sleeping quarters, he opened the door to the living room and proceeded inside. Kai and Jay were sitting on the couch playing Fist to Face 2. Cole sprawled himself on the floor, while Zane sat on one of the couch's arm rests, both watching the red and blue ninja battle it out.

"Hey guys," he greeted them. The rest of the ninja all turned their heads.

"Lloyd!" They all exclaimed. They paused their game and fired their questions as Lloyd approached them.

"So how'd it go?" asked Cole.

"Where'd you guys go?" continued Jay.

"And what did you guys do?" Kai added.

"I hope you had a good time," finished Zane. Lloyd chuckled and gave them a playful shove.

"Jeez you guys," the blonde replied amused. "We just met at Doomsday Comix, read some comic books and just talked. He prompted to take a seat in between Kai and Jay.

"Coming through!" Lloyd said playfully as he plopped himself on the couch, squeezing between the red and blue ninja, forcing the pair to move over to give him some space.

"Hey! You could at least say 'excuse me!' Jay told him.

"Oh, in that case, excuse me!" Lloyd stretched his arms as far as he could, purposely blocking Kai and Jay's vision, and invading their personal space.

"Oh, that's how you wanna do it then?" Kai challenged. He put down his controller and tackled the younger ninja and ruffled his hair. Lloyd ducked down trying to avoid the ninja of fire, but he ended up smothering the ninja of lightning under his weight.

"Hey! Can't breathe!" Jay huffed under his breathe as he tried to tickle Lloyd to get him off him.

"Save some for us too!" Cole said as he and Zane joined the fray. Everyone burst into laughter as they wrestled one another, but mainly Lloyd. Even if they were young adults now, they still made time for childish actions, especially towards each other. After fifteen minutes, everyone was holding their stomachs and trying to catch their breathes. When the could speak again, each took a comfortable spot and the four ninja huddled around their leader.

"Okay, so what happened earlier," Jay started.

"Well, it went well," Lloyd replied calmly.

"Awww, come on Lloyd," Kai replied, groaning. "Give us details."

Lloyd sighed loudly. "Can't really get out of this can I?" The others just shook their head.

"Like I said," Lloyd continued. "We just talked at Doomsday Comix and read some comic books. We really didn't do anything else."

"Doomsday Comix, huh?" Kai replied, putting one hand on his chin. "Not an ideal place for a date." The Green Ninja gave the Red Ninja an annoyed look.

"I'm kidding, okay?" Kai said with a grin. Lloyd just rolled his eyes.

"You read at Doomsday Comix all afternoon?" Jay asked, tilting his head. "There's no place to sit there! Just shelves and display cases."

"Actually," Lloyd replied, "Mother Doomsday was planning on expanding the shop. He-" Lloyd's stomach rumbled.

""Whoops, looks like someone hasn't eaten yet," Cole stated.

"I'll go and fetch you some dinner," Zane said as he disappeared into the kitchen. "Please continue without me."

Lloyd nodded. "Okay, so Rufus has a room behind the counter and he said he plans to make it some sort of reading area. He asked me to check it out, so eventually, that's where Lyn and I stayed all afternoon." The others just mouthed a long "Oh" in response. Meanwhile Zane returned with a tray carrying a plate of shrimps, a bowl of noodles, and a glass of juice. Lloyd thanked him and ate his food in the living room while telling others what else happened. He told them about Lyn's love for comics, about her being a college student and what college was about.

"…Then I walked her home," Lloyd finally finished.

"And?" Kai asked.

"That's it. Then I flew back here."

"You're kidding," Jay said in disbelief.

"Really! That's all that happened. What were you expecting?" Lloyd exclaimed, his voice hinting a tinge of annoyance.

"Then again, you guys aren't exactly official," Cole remarked.

"Not official. Yet," Zane added. Lloyd put his hands on his face. He felt his face burn. Why did he even enter the living room in the first place?

"Come on guys! I thought you wouldn't make fun of me!" The blonde lad complained. "I thought we agreed not to make this a big deal!"

"Alright, alright," Cole laughed. "We'll do our best not to make it that big a deal."

"But. No. Promises." Jay slyly commented. The four older ninja high fived. Lloyd gave a loud groan.

"Well, I guess that's that," he said as he stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna turn in now. Night."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Everyone called after him. Jay zipped to the door and blocked Lloyd's way.

"When are we gonna meet this Lyn? You did promise you'd let us meet her."

"You will!" Lloyd told them. He then remembered his promise to his friend. "She uh, actually wants to meet you."

"Really?!" Their eyes grew wide in excitement as they huddled closely while looking at the green ninja intently.

"Yeah, yeah. I just don't know how we'd all hang out."

"Say no more!" Cole stated, pointing his finger. "Just bring her over to the Bounty!"

"Yeah, that way even Sensei and Nya get to meet her!" Jay chimed in.

"And I can cook her a welcome feast," Zane added.

"Then it's settled," Kai said, putting his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Lloyd, tell Lyn we'd love to have her over next weekend."

Lloyd didn't know what to feel. He wasn't sure if he should be excited or terrified. He didn't want Lyn to be overwhelmed by the attention, but he was excited to bring her home to meet his family. How would she react? Would she like them? Will _they_ like her? And most of all, would _he_ survive?

"I dunno, everyone," Lloyd said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think it's too soon. I mean, she does goes to college and maybe she has some stuff to do."

"Great, he's chickening out," Cole commented. Kai nodded and swiped Lloyd's phone from his pocket.

"Hey! Give me back my phone!" Lloyd yelled after Kai as the master of fire ran to the other end of the room.

"No can do Lloyd," Kai said as he held the phone up trying keep it away from the blonde's hands. "If you won't text her, I'll do it for you."

"I can text her just fine, thank you very much!" Lloyd retorted as he reached for his phone. Kai sighed and handed it over.

"What'll you tell her?" Jay asked as they all moved towards the couch again.

"How about, 'Dear Lyn, would you do me the honor of coming with me to the Bounty to meet my family?'" Zane suggested.

"Eh, too straightforward," Cole replied. The nindroid just shrugged.

"I got this okay?" Lloyd told his brothers. He then began his message while everyone watched him from behind.

 _Hey Lyn. I hope I'm not disturbing you. I told the guys that you wanted to meet them and they're really pumped up about meeting you. We were hoping you could visit the Bounty and hang out with us in the afternoon next weekend. Is that okay with you?_

Lloyd pressed the "Send" button. He turned to his teammates. "There. I did it. You guys happy?" They nodded.

"But it ain't over until she says 'yes'." Cole told him. Lloyd just rolled his eyes. At least if Lyn accepted, this whole fiasco would be over, or die down at least. Almost immediately, the green ninja's phone beeped. Everyone huddled close to the point their cheeks were pressed against each other and Lloyd was forced to hold his phone out.

 _No it's okay. Me, visit the Bounty? I'm so in!_

Once the ninja saw that, they cheered and started high fiving each other.

"Remember," Lloyd reminded them. "She's coming over as a friend. She's not my girlfriend. So I hope you all treat her as such." The others simply nodded and started whispering amongst themselves. Lloyd ignored them and began texting his reply.

 _Great! I'll pick you up at 2 pm next Saturday?_

He waited for a minute again and he got his reply.

 _It's a deal. See you then_

Lloyd smiled as he put his phone in his pocket. He turned to see his brothers still whispering amongst themselves.

"It's settled then," the green ninja spoke up, trying to get their attention. His teammates whipped around to face him. "Lyn's coming over this Saturday at 2 pm. Don't freak her out, okay?" The ninja just nodded some more, giving their smiles and some thumbs up.

Lloyd sighed as he bid his brothers a good night before going to bed. He had a feeling they were up to something, but he was to tired to really say anything. He was still nervous though. If this is how his brothers react about his friend coming over, imagine what would happen when she actually arrives! Lloyd just shuffled to his bed and lied down. At least Lyn was excited, and that was enough for him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he pondered on the thought of seeing her again, what sort of things he should plan for her. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen, but he was sure it was going to be very interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

"Come on, come on! Let's hustle people!" Jay barked as he instructed the other ninja. "Don't walk, run! We got to get this place spotless before Lyn arrives!" The Bounty has been bustling with activities of general cleaning since early morning in preparation for Lyn's visit. The ninja requested a day-off from Sensei and Dareth to clean. It was easy to convince their old master, but their goofy agent, not so much. They had to give lots of excuses to Dareth in order to postpone production. Since morning, they have been wiping the counters and tables, sweeping the floor, and vacuuming the couches, as per Jay's orders.

"You know, I'm getting tired of taking orders from someone who hasn't lifted a finger yet," Cole tells Jay with a pointed look.

Jay scoffed. "I am helping. I'm the event coordinator!"

"This isn't technically an event Jay," Kai interjected. "I don't know why we have to be this over-prepared."

"Well, Lloyd's bringing his friend—who is a girl—home," Jay said shrugging his shoulders. "Don't you want to make a good impression as a family? Look what happened to me!"

"Your parents were the ones who came to visit the first time," Cole reminded him. "And your mom wouldn't stop talking about your most embarrassing moments, much to our amusement anyway."

"Precisely!" Jay continued, waving his hands in the air. "We need to make sure this 'visit' goes well for both of them!" He then sees Lloyd wiping their TV console.

"Epepep, you need to take a shower," Jay swiped the clothe from Lloyd hand and pushed him toward their bathroom.

"But I want to help!" The blonde protested. Jay held up his hand.

"Uh-uh, you're helping by staying squeaky clean till 2pm. Now shoo."

When Jay returned to the living room where the others were, he realized they had stopped moving and had given him weird looks.

"What?"

"Why are you in Full-Mother-Goose-Mode?" Cole asked. "I thought that was Zane's job."

"Pardon?" Zane answered, but Cole waved him off.

"Oh, come on you guys," Jay replied. "This is our Lloyd we're talking about. Don't you want to make his 'girl friend' have a good time?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kai spoke up. "I'd do the same for the girl I'd bring home. But not yet."

"That is, if you actually get a girl," Cole teased.

"Hey!" Kai shot Cole a glare. "I did say I got a date during Valentine's, didn't I?"

"Yeah, uh-huh, and I'll bet it didn't go so well and she ditched you before you knew it!"

"Look who's talking, Single Pringle! When was the last time you had a date?"

"Why I oughtta-" Cole and Kai were about to grab each other's shirts when Zane cut in front of them.

"Enough arguing my friends," Zane told them. "There's no need to fight." Kai and Cole both crossed their arms, neither looking at each other.

"I understand Jay's plan on making this a memorable encounter," the nindroid continued. "So let us just continue cleaning, shall we? Besides, I do believe that this Lyn holds a special place in Lloyd's heart, one that surpasses the position of a friend. Even if he doesn't know it yet. Us doing this is a way of showing that Lloyd had our full support."

"Thank you!" Jay commented, gesturing his hand at the titanium ninja. "My point exactly." The master of earth and the master of fire both sighed.

"Fine," Kai said wearily. "For Lloyd."

"Yeah, for Lloyd," Cole agreed.

Before noon, the Bounty was as spotless as when they first cleaned it. Everything was scrubbed, wiped, and mopped clean, from the deck, to the hallway, and even the training room. Lloyd had come out of the bathroom looking more refreshed and asked if there was anything else he could help with.

"Not really," Kai responded, looking around the room. "Zane and Nya are prepping lunch."

"You know," Lloyd said as he sat on the couch. "It's just her first visit. It's not like it should be a big deal."

"It is a big deal!" Jay told the younger ninja.

"Come on guys," Lloyd continued. "You know what I mean." He let his shoulders relax. "But thanks for doing this. Lyn's never had many friends. She just wants some people would actually treat her like a normal person."

"Life for her must be really tough, huh?" Cole chimed in. "Probably has to meet high expectations, never really giving her a chance to find who she really is or what she's really good at."

"Something like that," Lloyd replied. "Being born in a rich family made her real popular with others, but more in a bad way than good. Her peers always used her or had no genuine intention of being her friend, and she grew tired of it. So she never went with them and somewhat became an unintentional outcast."

"And the stalker?" Kai asked.

"He keeps claiming to be her boyfriend, but isn't, and she hates him for it. She thinks he's only doing it to marry into her family or something like that."

"That really is a sad life to live." Jay commented.

"But now that she's got you," Kai nudged Lloyd with his elbow. "Things are looking up eh?" Lloyd snorted.

"Yeah, yeah. She said at least she has a true friend to confide in, at least that what she tells me."

"Come on Lloyd, be honest with us," Cole said as he leaned on the couch. "Do you have feelings for this girl?" Not this again. Sure Lloyd liked Lyn, but he wasn't certain that they were the romantic kind yet. He was still getting to know her after all.

"I-I'm not sure," Lloyd sheepishly replied while rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, she's nice and all, but I'm not sure if I'm even ready for a relationship yet. Can't we stick as friends? Besides, I'm sure she doesn't think of me that way."

"Alright, suite yourself," Jay told him. "It's your choice after all. But just remember: If you need any advice, we're all here for you."

"That's so cheesy, Jay," Cole gagged.

"Hey I don't see you being helpful."

"Says the guy who barked orders rather than scrub the floor!" Lloyd chuckled at his brothers' bickering. He heard some footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Nya wiping her hands.

"Come on, guys," she told them. "Lunch is ready." That got the black and blue ninja to split up and everyone happily went to the dining room to eat.

2pm finally came. Lloyd jumped out of the Bounty and flew for Ninjago City. Since it was early afternoon, no doubt any bystander would catch sight of Ninjago's green hero soaring the skies. Landing outside the city, he started walking for the brunette's skyscraper of a house. To his surprise, he found Lyn already walking away from the building. No disguise for her today. She was wearing her turquoise cardigan over a white shirt, along with her black jeans and sneakers.

"Hey," Lloyd waved at her as he met her just outside the City's boundary. "I didn't expect you to drop your cover." Lyn grinned.

"Kinda risky I know. But I wanted to be me when I meet your family. No Jack for today. Just Lyn." Lloyd chuckled.

"Okay, then. Let's go I suppose."

"Lead the way." Both of them went outside the city, where Lloyd summoned his dragon again. He held out his hand and helped Lyn up. Lyn realized she would have to wrap her arms around her friend. Her cheeks began to heat up. She's done this before. So why was she nervous this time?

"You okay?" Lloyd's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"No, I'm okay," the girl replied. She carefully clasped her hands around the green ninja's waist. Lloyd fought with all his strength not to flinch at her touch. He too felt his ears get hot as both ascended into the sky.

"You're not nervous are you?" Lloyd worked up the courage to speak. He wanted to concentrate on maneuvering his beast, but he could sense that his passenger was tense.

"I'm not nervous," came the reply, followed by another answer. "Okay, maybe a little."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Why would you be nervous?" The girl took a deep breathe.

"I don't really know. Maybe because I don't know what your family think of me."

"They'll like you, trust me." Lloyd replied. He remembered how his brothers slaved to clean the Bounty for her sake. Lyn felt herself blush again and looked away, trying to focus on the clouds that whizzed by. There's no reason for her to doubt him. He's never said or done anything that led her to believe otherwise. If anything, Lloyd was the most honest person she's met. She felt her muscles unwind and she relaxed for the rest of the flight. Lloyd turned his head for a while and caught a glimpse of her smiling, eyeing the clouds before shifting his attention to the front with a smile on his face.

The Bounty was finally in sight. The dragon's landing was smooth and both jumped off its back and into the deck before it disappeared into thin air.

"Wow." Lyn voiced in amazement as she took in surroundings. "I've never been on a ship before. Let alone a flying one."

"We come out here and use this an outdoor training deck," Lloyd told her. "Get's really messy from time to time." He gestured his hand that led to the door. Lyn followed him inside. "I'll take you to meet the guys first, then we can give you an official tour." Lyn simply nodded, still taken by the ship's features. They stopped at the living room where every one of the team was waiting, including Sensei Wu and Nya. Lloyd gave a short knock before opening the door. Everyone eagerly shot their heads up.

"Lyn, meet the team," Lloyd said proudly as he guided her inside. Lyn timidly made her way inside. Hand trembling, she gave a small wave.

"Hello. I'm Lyn. I've heard so much about you all." It wasn't long before the four ninja crowded around her, Nya and Wu following slowly.

"So you're the mystery girl! Nice to meet ya at last!" Kai told her with a smirk.

"Nice to meet you too. Kai right?"

"Got that right!" Kai told her puffing his chest. "What gave me away? My hair? My amazing good looks?"

"I'm sure everyone recognizes each one of you even with a glance," Lyn replied heartily. Everybody laughed at this.

"She's arrived!" Jay spoke up, shaking Lyn's hand. "I'm Jay, master of lightning, co-mechanic of the Bounty, and currently smitten by the beautiful Water Ninja." Nya shook her head in amusement.

"It's good to meet you, Lyn," the former Samurai told her. Lyn began to relax more.

"Good to meet you both too." She turned to see a man made of metal and the other was of green skin, almost transparent. 'Must be Zane and Cole.'

"It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance," Zane calmly states while gently shaking Lyn's hand.

"The pleasure's all mine." Last was the ghost. How would she shake his hand exactly? Won't their hands just phase through? Cole saw through her confused face and laughed.

"Don't worry about it," Cole chuckled and held out his hand. "Ghosts don't bite." Lyn looked at his hand before cautiously shaking it. It was indeed solid. Her eyes widened un amazement. 'He must have practiced or something.'

She finally turned to the last man there. This man wore a wide brimmed hat and had long white mustache and beard almost reaching his waist. She clearly knew who this one was.

"Hello there, Lyn. I am Sensei Wu." The old man stroke his beard and gave a small bow, signaling Lyn to bow back. She dipped her head low, all the more nervous at his presence.

"I-It's an honor to meet you, Sensei," the girl stammered. She then faced the others. "It's really a privilege to be here with all of you."

"Lyn, breathe," Lloyd told her. "It's not like you're in danger." The girl let out a long breathe.

"All right!" Cole clapped his hand. "Now that we all know each other, why don't we give Lyn a tour?" The boys lined up, each of them gesturing toward the hall, with Lloyd leading the way. They took her to the training deck, the kitchen, the bridge, and let her take a peek in their rooms. Along the way, the boys would slip in small embarrassing moments from Lloyd's childhood, which left Lyn laughing and Lloyd covering his crimson face. Jay sighed, as he realized that that part was utterly inevitable. Lyn's face maintained a smile all throughout the tour, enjoying everyone's company. The tour ended in the living room, and Jay grabbed a controller and held it up.

"Do you play?" Jay asked her. Lyn shook her head.

"Oh, no," the girl replied. "Dad never let me play video games."

"Then now's the perfect time to start!" Kai called out briskly as he grabbed the other controller and hurled it at her direction. Lyn, unsure what to do, put her arms up to shield herself. She waited for the object to hit her but none came. She opened her eyes to see Lloyd's arm in front of her, controller in hand.

"Kai!" Nya smacked her brother on the head. Lloyd gave him a death glare.

"Sorry… I kinda got ahead of myself," Kai apologized.

"Sorry Lyn," Lloyd looked at his friend who had calmed down. "We kinda throw controllers at each other all the time. You alright?"

Lyn nodded. "Yeah, I'm great."

"So, do you want to play?" Lloyd asked handing her the controller.

"I don't know. I don't really game and stuff."

"Come on," Lloyd pleaded. "There's no harm in trying, right?" The girl thought for a moment. She looked at the others, who were already waiting eagerly for her response. Her lips curved into a smile.

"Okay," she took the controller from the Green Ninja and sat on the floor in front of their television.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" Lloyd asked her, patting the couch. "Align your eyesight with the TV for maximum gaming experience." Lyn slightly shrugged and moved to the couch while the others gave her room.

"You're going down, Lyn!" Cole told her.

"Hey, I've never done this before! Can't you guys take it easy?"

"Nope!" Jay answered. Lyn gulped but she kept calm. She was here to have fun after all. Lloyd, Nya and Wu watched the rest play. Jay would coach her from time to time of there's something she didn't understand. The ninja patiently answered her questions and Lyn soon got a hang of the game. The rest would cheer for Lyn, but the newbie was no match for her opponents. After two hours, Lyn's finger had gone sore.

"I don't know if I can move my fingers anymore. I give." She set the controller down.

"Whoo!" Kai jumped. "I win!"

"Well I'm hungry," Cole said leaning back on the sofa's soft cushion. Just then, Zane appeared from the kitchen. He left the living room an hour earlier to prepare some snacks.

"If you don't mind, I've prepared some food for everyone." Everyone left their seats and proceeded to the dining area. The table was decked with a variety of pastries, pasta, and some fruits and soda.

"We didn't really know what you liked, so we hope this is to your liking," Zane said as he started to distribute plates to everyone.

"I-uhm, wow," was all Lyn could say. "I-I mean thank you. This is really amazing. You all have been so nice and so kind."

"All right, let's get our grub on!" Cole cheered as he scooped a huge portion of pasta on his plate. As everyone ate, the ninja started firing questions at Lyn, such as where she was from, what kind of music she liked, did she like spicy things, and so on. Lloyd silently watched the conversation among them. He's been quite silent, simply watching his friend enjoy herself. He enjoyed seeing her happy and hoped she could always be this happy.

"Wait so you like garlic chilly ramen noodles?" Jay asked in disbelief. "But those things are spicy hot!"

"They're kinda spicy, but they're really delicious when you get used to them," Lyn replied.

"What about allergies?" asked Nya. Lyn tapped her chin to think.

"Peanuts." Suddenly, Sensei Wu stood up.

"If you'll all excuse me, I shall retire to my room," he silently spoke as he turned to leave. But before doing so he turned to their visitor. "Please, make yourself at home Lyn." He then looked at his students. "And I expect all of you to be up and early tomorrow for sunrise exercises." The ninja immediately straightened themselves to give their teacher a bow.

"Yes, Sensei."

Lyn was impressed."Wow. Do you always get up before sunrise to train?"

"I believe Sensei wanted us to train today but we asked his permission to skip practice in order to clean the Bounty." Zane told her. "Sensei probably just wants us to make up for lost time."

"Oh." Lyn realized that they had all broken their daily routine for her. She bit her lip in embarrassment.

"Hey, what's wrong, Lyn?" Nya asked her.

"I just realized, your schedule got blown off because of me," Lyn replied. "I'm so sorry for being inconsiderate." That caused a short laugh from the guys.

"Hey don't worry about it," Kai explained. "It gave us a free day."

"Kai's right," Cole added. "Besides, any friend of Lloyd is a friend of ours."

Lyn couldn't help but smile as wide as she could. No one had ever done that for her before. It was always her bending for others, helping them without getting anything in return. Now, there were these people who were kind enough to spend their entire afternoon with her, even if it disrupted their own schedule. In addition, they were very transparent. Everyone was so honest, so simple. No need for pretenses. Just all out fun and fellowship. She could feel tears blur her eyesight and she tried to wipe them away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" It was Lloyd's turn to ask. He moved closer to see why she was suddenly crying. To everyone's surprise, Lyn gave out a chuckle.

"It's just, you're all so nice." Lyn looked each of them. "You're the best kind of true friends anyone could ever ask for." She then turned to the blonde boy. "You're very lucky Lloyd."

"Aw, Lyn," Nya told her while putting her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Know that you're always welcome here. Feel free to drop by whenever you like."

"Yeah, just come by when you feel like it," Cole told her. "Just give us a heads up that you're coming, okay?"

"Oh no," Lyn replied, shaking her hands. "That would be too much."

"No really," Nya insisted. "Just swing by anytime. Lloyd's always there to pick you up."

"Hey!" Lloyd yelled. "I'm not a chauffer."

"We don't have time for your gibberish talk Lloyd," Jay said. "Seriously, Lyn, we're all friends here. If you need some down time, just hang out with us."

"Or if you want a rematch," Kai added.

"Or a simple snack," Zane continued.

"I think she gets the point guys," Lloyd told them. Lyn nodded.

"Thank you, all, so much for this. I don't know what else to say." Suddenly, the girl's phone rang. She excused herself and answered the phone in the hallway. Everyone patiently waited for her to return. After a few minutes, walked back, her face looking grave.

"That was my dad. He wants me to come home immediately. He says he's got something important to tell me in person."

"Oh, I guess that cuts your visit short," Lloyd answered, standing up. "Don't worry, I'll take you home."

"Thank you, Lloyd." Lyn turned to the others. "I wish I could stay longer, but I gotta go."

"It's no trouble whatsoever, Lyn," Zane replied. "It was wonderful to have you."

"Yeah, come visit again sometime," Kai told her.

"I hope so. Please do tell Sensei 'thank you' for everything." Everyone walked the pair to the deck where Lyn waved them goodbye. Lloyd summoned his dragon and climbed on with Lyn following after him. The dragon descended and everyone watched them until they were out of sight.

"So?" Jay asked his brothers. "What do you think?"

"She's an interesting character," Zane answered.

"She's got guts," Cole responded. "She's not afraid of trying something new."

"Nya?" Jay asked his girlfriend. "What do you think of Lyn?" Nya simply smiled.

"They look good together." All the boys turned to look at her with disbelief. The Water Ninja raised a brow.

"What? I know what you guys are thinking," Nya shook her head and turned to her brother. "What about you, Kai?"

Kai's face turned to one of determination. "We need to get those two together."

 **Hello my lovely readers! I'm so sorry I've been absent once again for several months. It's finally summer and I am trying to get back to my writing. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Till next time ~ SnowflakeShard** **3**

 **P.S. Some of you might be wondering why Cole is a ghost in this chapter. Since this takes place after Skybound, I decided to keep Cole's ghost form to remain consistent with the show's timeline. He can eat, since it was confirmed by the Skybound Season. However, keep note that I will only incorporate events until the time of the Day of Departed Special to avoid confusion. I will not include HoT or upcoming seasons because it might get too complicated.**


	9. Chapter 9

Everyone looked at Kai in a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

"Say that again?" Nya told her brother. She heard him alright, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't joking.

"I said," Kai responded, facing his friends. "We need to get those two together."

"What?!" Cole commented, obviously not on board with the Red Ninja's plan. "You heard Lloyd. He's not even sure if he really likes her. We wouldn't want to get his hopes up."

"You know he's in denial," Kai continued pointing his finger up. "It's too obvious he likes her. If he doesn't come face to face with his feelings, he'll regret it forever. We have to help him realize it before it's too late."

"Wow" was all Jay could say. "I didn't think you'd care about Lloyd's love life so much, Kai."

"I do now," Kai replied.

"Since when?! " Nya asked, getting impatient.

"When I hurled that controller at Lyn."

"Anyone in their right minds would catch or dodge a controller thrown in that manner, Kai," Zane pointed out.

"Yeah, that _was_ a bit overboard," Jay added.

"Probably, but regardless, we have to find a way to get them beyond the 'just friends' stage." Kai looked at his teammates, his resolve plastered on his face. "Just think about it: Lloyd's been giving his all to his ninja training and not once had he been given the chance at a normal life." He then remembered when Lloyd was still a child, he and the others would push him to prepare himself to face his father. "He lost his childhood already. He's of age, and fate brings him a pretty girl right to his doorstep. Shouldn't we at least give him this opportunity to find happiness?"

The others fell silent. They weren't sure if it was really Kai talking, or they're just hallucinating. Whenever it came between their duty as ninja or following their hearts, Kai always chose the former, even if it hurt. So this was indeed new for them. Finally, it was Nya who first broke the silence.

"Kai, look. I know we're all concerned for Lloyd's welfare, but this, especially this, we need to let him figure it out on his own. And if he wants our advice, then we're all more than willing to give it. But forcing him into the dating game might be to much for him and we may end up doing more harm than good."

"I'm with Nya on this," Cole spoke up. "If we pressure him into having a love life, won't their romantic relationship feel, I dunno, forced?"

"Seconded," Jay added. "Zane?"

"I'm afraid I agree with Kai," the nindroid said. All looked at him slack-jawed, even Kai. Since when did Zane disagree with the most logical choice?

"Yes!" Kai fist-pumped into the air. "But why, Zane? I was pretty sure you'd be on board with the others." Zane looked at the rest of the ninja as he spoke. Everyone was eager to hear his answer as to why he would agree with the fire ninja's idea.

"I would first like to clarify that, I do agree with Cole's statement of forcing Lloyd to enter into such a relationship. But I agree that we should help and support Lloyd in his journey with this Lyn. We can all sense that there is indeed a connection between them, and neither seem confident to show how they feel for the other. I believe we should simply help Lloyd acknowledge his feelings without forcing him out of his comfort zone too much."

"Precisely," Kai commended. "Thank you, Zane. All I'm saying is, Lloyd has been through so much and he deserves to have a normal life like any normal person. We've all lived a normal life before becoming ninjas, and all Lloyd's known before meeting us was…"

"Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys," Jay finished for him.

"That wasn't even a proper school, as far as I'm concerned," Nya added.

"Okay, I see your point," Cole told Kai. "But how exactly are we going to help him realize he likes Lyn?"

"Okay, here's the plan…" Everyone huddled up.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the sky, Lyn and Lloyd were chatting as they neared the city.

"I'm sorry your visit got cut short," Lloyd said to her. Lyn shook her head.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. You guys missed a whole day of training because of me. Then my visit got cut short because of my dad's call. So obviously the ones who were inconvenienced were you guys."

"It's alright," Lloyd reassured her. "Things happen, and you gotta prioritize family. I'm sure that call was really urgent if you're dad wanted you home right away."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry. But I promise I'll make it up to you and the others. I don't know yet how, but I will."

"So, what was that call about?"

"I'm really not sure. He just told me that he needed to talk to me immediately. I didn't want to tell him that I was at the Bounty either or he might have flipped."

"Why's that?"

"I dunno, you guys being celebrities and all, I didn't want to make a fuss about it."

Lloyd nodded. "I see. So, how did you find everyone?" Lyn pursed her lips to think.

"Everyone was really nice. I got scared for a moment when Kai threw that controller."

"Yeah, sorry about him, though."

But it's all good. Sensei kinda intimidates me though." Lloyd turned to look at her.

"Really, why?" Lyn shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe being a powerful, wise and skilled master, I got the impression that he would be serious and have that air of authority, you know?" Lloyd chuckled as he resumed looking straight ahead.

"Not always. Sensei really cares a lot about everyone. He just sounds serious because he had to be strict with us when we train. But outside of that, he's really gentle and had a good sense of humor. You just need to get to know him."

"I hope so." Suddenly, a thought came to the girl's head. "Oh."

"What?"

"I just realized something: It's almost finals. I gotta prepare."

Lloyd raised a brow. "Finals?"

"Exams, Lloyd," the brunette told him. "We take tests with the coverage from the beginning of the semester till the end. Or if we're lucky, only the final term. Didn't you have exams at Darkley's?"

"Nah. Not much writing. More on hands on stuff on how to be a villain. After all, that school was suppose to make you treat breaking the rules like an art."

Lyn let out a laugh. "What a school! Who even decided to put up a school like that?"

"I have no idea," Lloyd cheerfully replied. "After the defeat of the Overlord a few years back, the school's been closed and reformed to a proper academy. The ninja actually taught there for a while, but after Zane's death, we handed it over to more experienced teachers."

"Oh, yeah. Zane died saving Ninjago by sacrificing himself. I'm sorry. I'm glad you got reunited. But, how did he come back?"

"Using Cyrus' Borg's technology, he built himself a new body out of titanium, the same one you saw earlier."

"Wow. That's really neat," Lyn continued. "Your adventures are so awesome. You have such amazing stories to tell. Me, I'm stuck in university with mounds of homework."

Lloyd chuckled. He then paused for a moment, not sure what to talk about next. He decided to ask more about the girl's college life. "Hey, I'm curious. Schools have a huge number of students. Do you have friends in college, since the population is so big?" Lyn shook her head.

"Not really. Every class I take don't contain the same number of students, let alone the same people. So we're all loners, except for those who have been friends since high school."

"Do Caroline and Vince go to NCU too?" Lyn scoffed.

"Of course they do. Caroline's into interior design while Vince took up entrepreneurship. Since our courses are different, I don't see them often. And I do a good job avoiding them anyway."

"I see. But have you tried making friends with the others?"

Lyn thought for a moment, tapping her chin. "Hmmm, no, I don't think I did. I enter and leave the classroom like the wind. I guess I'm a little worried that they'll be like Caroline and the others. I don't think I can stand another set of plastic faces."

"You never know if you don't try," Lloyd replied. He could hear Lyn heaving a sigh, signaling him that he seemed to have touched a delicate subject. As the city came into view, the energy dragon glided smoothly across the sky and landed in the alley before disappearing into thin air. After getting off, both walked until the entrance of the building.

Lyn kept walking, not saying a word. Her arms were crossed and her face had become stoic and serious. She was obviously upset. She obviously wasn't keen on the idea, but she was definitely giving it much consideration. Should she give it a shot? She didn't want to go through that again. Her memories with Caroline were enough.

"Lyn?" The girl turned around, seeing that the Green Ninja had stopped walking.

"I think I may have brought up a touchy subject. I'm sorry. I know that you're cautious when it comes to friends. But I think that you should try to make friends with your fellow college people."

"The term's 'colleagues', Lloyd," the girl corrected. Her voice had turned somewhat cold, but Lloyd decided to press his luck.

"Colleagues. I'm sure not everyone is like Caroline and the others. Just give them a simple 'hello' or 'hi' when you walk in. You told me before you're good at reading people. Observe them for a while. See how they move, how they react. And if you think at least one of them is worth approaching, try to talk to them."

"I can't Lloyd," Lyn hung her head. "I just can't. I'm not sure if I can take the hurt if it all goes down the drain."

"Hey," Lloyd moved closer. "Hurt is a part of life. Even in friendships. But we have to keep trying. I may have been out of school for some time, but I know that school can't be all about studies. It's also about building relationships. Meaningful ones. Let some friendships bloom here and there."

The brunette looked up at her friend, still hesitant. "But is it really worth the risk?"

Lloyd smiled gently. "A wise sensei once told me: 'Without risks, you'll never know how far you'll go.'"

Lyn's lips creased into a thin line. She looked at the pavement of the sidewalk and leaned her head on the nearby building, still thinking about the Green Ninja's words. 'Without risks, you'll never know how far you'll go.' After a while, she finally straightened herself and looked at Lloyd in the eye.

"Alright."

Lloyd's grin grew wider. "Great!"

"But," Lyn held up a finger. "Don't expect me to do it right away. It may take time, as I'll be busy with finals."

The blonde nodded. "I know, but it's a start. Trust me, Lyn. It won't be all that bad. I'm sure you'll find great friends in NCU. Just give it a shot."

"Alright, alright, alright," Lyn replied, slightly annoyed, but her mood had definitely lightened. "But if it all goes south…"

"It won't."

"But-"

"It. Won't. Buuuuut if it does…"

"I'll get you for this."

"I doubt it."

Lyn pushed open the doors to her pent house and found her father talking rapidly on his phone while pacing the carpet in the living room. Her mother was there was well, sitting patiently and waiting for her husband to finish. Lyn took a seat across them and waited silently. 'Make friends, huh?' There were some cheerful people in her classes and some actually greeted her when they walk in, but she never talked back and only replied with a rehearsed smile.

"Lyn, sweetie?" her mom's voice rang. Lyn snapped to reality.

"Yes?" Lyn shot up. "Sorry, I spaced out." She readjusted herself on the couch. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Geoffrey sighed and sat down. He put his phone in his coat pocket and rubbed his temple. "My assistant, Mrs. Holley, is resigning."

"Well, she _is_ of retiring age, so it's understandable," Lyn replied. "What seems to be the problem?"

"There's too many things to do," her father continued. "Too many papers, too many meetings, I'll need a replacement immediately. Which brings me to this notion, and to why I asked you here, Lyn."

The girl raised a brow. "Which is?" Though she had a good idea what it was going to be.

"Will you be my temporary assistant? After your classes, come to the office and help me around the place. You'll receive salary."

'I knew it,' Lyn thought. She sighed. "I don't know Dad. It's almost finals. Can I really handle it?" She was fine helping out in the office, but she knew how tough and rigid her father's schedule was.

"Of course you can," Geoffrey assured her. "You just need to follow me around, hand me things, call some people and so on. And as for finals, don't worry, hopefully your mother will find a replacement by then."

His daughter thought for a moment. "Why me though? Not that I'm complaining, Dad. I was just curious why you'd ask me, someone with zero experience to fill in for Mrs. Holley."

"Because looking for a new assistant takes time. Your mother will make sure that the new assistant has enough work experience, a credible background and a workable attitude. For now, I need someone I can trust. Mrs. Holley resigns within three weeks, which means you'll train under her to know the ropes. Just consider it as an advanced internship."

Lyn rested her chin on her fingers, weighing her options. If she accepted, she will have more work to do, adding up to incoming homework and future class projects and exams. But on the bright side, she'd have an excuse not to hang out after class, especially with certain persons she'd definitely not want to be with. Not only that, she was going to be with more people in the workplace. She enjoyed the trips to the office. All the employees were so nice and friendly. This was one reason she preferred older people as friends rather than those her age. But she knew she couldn't exactly spend time with them outside the workplace. They had their own personal lives to deal with, leaving Lyn back to square one.

"Lyn? Are you alright?" Geoffrey snapped his fingers, awaking the girl from her trance. "What'll it be?"

Lyn bit her lip. "Okay."

"Perfect!" Olivia clapped her hands. "Oh do understand, darling. You must wear the appropriate attire. Which means no denim wear whatsoever." She gestured her hand around her daughter's clothes. "Only skirts or slacks. As for your top-"

"Blouses, I know," Lyn interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Or blazers and vests."

"Fine."

After dinner, Lyn retired to her room. Fishing her phone from her pocket, she looked for Lloyd's number and typed a message.

 _Hey. Apparently, I've got two challenges to complete now._

 _Oh yeah?_

 _My dad wants me to be his assistant. So that, plus school, plus your challenge, I can do this. Yay! :(_

 _Come on, you can do it. I believe in you._

 _Well, thanks for the vote of confidence anyway._

 _Anytime XP_

 _Thanks again for today. Please tell the ninja I said thanks again._

 _Will do._

 _By the way, just a heads up: Please don't text me during finals next month. I'll be too busy with exams and projects._

 _No problem. Don't forget to tour me around NCU though_.

 _I wouldn't dream of it. ;)_

 _Night._

 _Night._

 **So here's Chapter 9. Took longer than expected though. I hope you guys liked it!**

 **I would like to thank lightning0ninja, StoryMaker7, and Guest MMM for your reviews in chapter 8.**

 **@Guest MMM: I can tell you this: Vince is definitely coming back.**

 **From now on, I want to be more appreciative of you, my lovely readers. So, I'll do my best to give you recognition for your reviews. And even to those who didn't leave a review, I still thank you for continuing to read this story. Till the next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard**


	10. Chapter 10

Alright, everyone, take five." Dareth called the ninja once again for another shoot. Their show had been running for a while now, and they were seriously considering that it was time to move on from the entertainment industry.

"I'm seriously getting tired of these shoots," Lloyd said as he sat down on his chair. Out of all the members of his team, he was the one with the most workload. He had recently started his training as a sensei, while still continuing his ninja training. The shooting sessions only added to his plate.

"I'm getting ticked about it too," Nya replied as she chugged her water bottle. After she and Jay got back together, Jay convinced Dareth to make Nya part of the cast.

"We'll talk to Dareth to see if our contract could be terminated as early as possible," she continued. Just then, the others arrived overhearing their conversation.

"Terminated?!" Kai spat out. "What do you mean 'terminated'? My Kai action figures are selling so well!"

"What's going on, Nya?" Jay asked his girlfriend as he prompted to sit beside her.

"It's just that I think we need to move on to more important stuff. We've cut down our ninja training because of the show, and maybe we'll lose our edge. When was the last time we faced a villain?"

"Well, there was that one time with Nad- ow!" Jay received a pinch on his arm given by Nya. They had agreed to keep their memories of the Sky Pirates to themselves. It's been months since that fiasco and no one seemed to have a clue that that actually happened.

"Nad-what?" Cole asked

"I meant near death experience with the Preeminent from the cursed realm," Jay salvaged his answer.

"And that was months ago," Lloyd added. "We never know when the next villain will strike; so we can't lose our edge."

"Come on Lloyd," Kai told him. "We were out of action when we became teachers for who knows how long and we still defeated the Overlord after. So I don't think we'll be jeopardizing ourselves any time soon."

"Okay, but seriously, this is getting a bit tiring. All the meetings, the interviews, the fans," Nya pointed out.

"Oh come on, the fans are the best part!" Kai stated. Clearly, he's the only one enjoying the attention.

"But don't you miss walking down the street without people crowding once they see you?" Asked Lloyd.

"Why walk down the street when you have a dragon?"

"You know what Lloyd meant Kai," Cole countered.

"Yes, it would indeed be refreshing to go from place to place without being mobbed," Zane commented.

"Yeah, I miss the old days when everyone treated us like heroes, and not like TV celebrities," Jay added.

"Says the guy who hosted a TV show," Kai commented. Jay just stuck his tongue at his brother. Kai then turned to Lloyd, and then gave a smug look. "So, speaking of which, how's Lyn been doing?"

"Oh, she's doing okay," Lloyd plainly replied. He knew Kai was just trying to get to him and there was no way he would let him win. "We're not really keeping in touch at the moment, coz she asked me not to text her at this time."

"Aw, why not?" the guy with auburn hair pressed on. "Did you guys fight?"

"What? No, it's finals in NCU and she needs to concentrate."

"When do you plan to see her again?" Cole asked. Lloyd gave out a huge sigh.

"Are we really having this discussion?"

"What? We were just asking. You're the one putting malice on the question, buddy," the ninja of earth responded.

Lloyd gave a "hmph" before looking back at his recently pulled-out phone. It's been a month or so since Lyn and him met up. As promised, Lloyd did not text Lyn the whole time. With his weekends free again, he devoted his time to his sensei and ninja training, much to his uncle's satisfaction.

After their shoot ended, followed by a visit to the museum to meet with schoolchildren, the ninja flew back to their home of a ship. Sensei Wu was at the deck waiting for them. When the others landed, they each gave their teacher a bow. It was time for their ninja training once again. They sparred in the training room, meditated and tried new combat methods whilst discussing it with their mentor. By 7pm, Wu released them, allowing Zane to head to the kitchen to cook dinner. This was how they moved about ever since their presence was demanded much more for their show. Zane, being a nindroid, did not experience fatigue, allowing him to go the extra mile at home, much to everyone's relief. By nightfall, everyone but a Cole would take a quick shower before lying on their beds.

"So tired," Lloyd mumbled.

"I can't feel my legs," Jay said, laying his feet on top of his pillow.

"Maybe we should consider that contract termination after all," Cole spoke up as laid on his bed. As a ghost, he wasn't as tired, but he was getting hungry.

"That's starting to sound like a good idea, honestly," Kai admitted while lying on his stomach. "I don't know how much more I can keep this up. I love my fans, but…"

"We'll talk to Dareth next meeting," Jay replied. Suddenly, Lloyd's phone vibrated. Lloyd lazily reached for it and groggily looked at the screen His head shot up when he saw who sent it.

 _Well, it's done._

Lloyd's lips instinctively formed a smile, one Kai didn't fail to notice.

"I see someone's received good news," the fire ninja teased. Lloyd looked at him and stuck out his tongue at his brother before turning his back on him. He then typed a reply.

 _That's good. How you holding up?_

 _I'm good. I just finished my last exam this morning, as well as passed my last project._

 _How's work?_

 _It's okay too. Dad gave me some time off to study. Good thing too. Thought I was gonna fail one subject because it was so difficult._

 _No worries. Knowing you, you go that in the bag._

 _Hehe thanks. Hey remember I told you I'm bringing you to NCU?_

 _Yeah?_

 _Well, get your disguise on. We're going for a visit. When are you free?_

Lloyd thought for a moment. He's been quite busy with showbiz and training. He needed to know when he could go out.

"Hey, Jay?"

"Hm?"

"Are we doing anything this Sunday?"

The Blue Ninja cupped his chin. "No, I don't think so. Sunday's our free day, except for training of course. Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing."

"I'll bet it's because Lyn's asking him out," Cole casually replied, his nose pressed to a comic book.

"Bingo!" Kai exclaimed. "Seems like she's moving faster than you are, Lloyd." Lloyd just buried his face on his pillow.

"What did she say anyway?" Cole asked.

"She wanted to tour me around her university," Lloyd mumbled from his pillow.

"And?" Jay probed.

"That's it okay? Just drop it." Lloyd went back to texting.

 _Is Sunday morning okay with you? About 10 am?_

 _10 am it is. I'll see you then. Drop by the tower. Then we'll head to the campus._

 _Got it. See ya_

"At least treat her to lunch," Jay told him.

"Why?"

"We're guessing you'll meet up in the morning, so take her to lunch," Cole added. His brothers knew him too well.

"Fine, whatever," Lloyd replied. He then turned over and closed his eyes. After a while, Zane called them for dinner.

The following Sunday, Lloyd waited at the bottom of the skyscraper for Lyn to come out. When she arrived, she handed him a pair of glasses.

"What's this for?" The blonde asked.

"You can't enter campus with that hat. It's too suspicious. Mess your hair a little." Lloyd led the girl to the abandoned alleyway and removed his fedora. Taking the glasses, he put them on and realized they had no grade. He then ruffled his hair, causing his bangs to fall to his face, almost touching his eyebrows.

"Perfect. Now you look like a random college student," Lyn told him. Lloyd rolled his eyes and prepared to summon his dragon.

"Uh-uh," Lyn stopped him gesturing towards the street. "We're taking the bus."

Lloyd raised a brow. "Won't a dragon be faster?"

"And where do you plan to land? The university is mostly open space. There's no way you'd get around unnoticed." She then exited the alleyway and headed for the nearest bus stop. Sitting on the bench, she gestured the Green Ninja to sit beside her.

"Is this how you always go to school?" the boy asked. Lyn nodded.

"I thought you'd have a driver, or perhaps drive your own car." The girl shook her head.

"I'm just a regular girl with regular needs. I don't need a fancy car to take me to campus. And I don't need the other students to think I'm a snob. So I take the bus."

Lloyd was impressed. Even if this girl had all the comforts she could want, she never abused it, and was still willing to live like a simple citizen. Most people will almost immediately jump at the chance of the most luxurious asset they could get their hands on. But not her.

After ten minutes the bus finally arrived and both of them hopped on. The ride only took about twenty minutes to get to the university. Lyn offered to pay for the fare, but Lloyd insisted to pay for himself. He was getting embarrassed that Lyn was always paying for him. They got off at the drop-off point and stopped at the gate, where security guards were stationed. Lyn presented her ID to one of them. The guard gave it a short look before returning it to her. He then eyed they blonde boy with glasses.

"Where's your ID, kid?" He gruffly asked the Green Ninja. Lloyd froze, unsure what to say. Being in a boarding school before, they weren't really required to wear ID's. Unsure of what to do, he looked to Lyn for help. She was calm however. Putting on a regal air, she spoke to the guard.

"He's a friend of mine who's looking to see if this school is to his liking. Could he please be given a visitor's pass for today?" She spoke with such confidence and her face showed she meant business. The guard stared at her for few more seconds and shifted his eyes to Lloyd one more time. He then took a card from his drawer and handed it to Lloyd.

"Enjoy your visit," He simply stated. Lloyd clipped the guest ID to his jacket and proceeded inside with his friend. When they made distance between them and the guard house, Lloyd let out a breathe he didn't know he held in.

"And that's how you get inside campus," Lyn proudly said, holding her head high.

"I thought for sure he'd kick me out," Lloyd told her.

"The guards can be a bit strict, but that's just security protocol," Lyn told him. "If you came here in a gi, I'll bet they'd let you in without a second thought."

"Hey, maybe I should," Lloyd joked as he pretended to remove his glasses.

"I wouldn't do that if I we're you," Lyn warned. She turned to see that the campus grounds were still filled with students carrying luggage, boxes, and some even carried compact furniture.

Lloyd's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, they look like they're migrating." Lyn laughed at this.

"These students are not from Ninjago City and are going home to their respective villages or cities for the summer. They live in dorms throughout the semester and go home when the year is over."

"Jacqueline! Lyn!"

Lyn craned her neck to see some students waving at her. Lyn grabbed Lloyd's wrist and jogged toward their direction.

"Hey guys," she greeted. "All homeward bound I see."

"Yeah," one of the girls replied. "The dorms are nice and all, but nothing beats the feel of home."

"Got that right," one guy added. "I miss my siblings too. Can't wait to see them again."

Lyn smiled. "Well, don't let me keep you. Have a safe trip home."

One of the girls noticed Lloyd and said, "Hey, I haven't seen you before."

"Oh, he's with me," Lyn replied casually. "I'm just showing him around."

"Oh I see," her friends said. "Well, we gotta go. See ya next semester Lyn!" They all went towards the exit carrying their luggage, leaving Lloyd and Lyn behind. Lloyd realized that Lyn had accepted his challenge and had succeeded. He leaned closer and whispered to her.

"What I tell you? "Lloyd said crossing his arms proudly.

"Yeah, I guess you were right," Lyn replied with a smile. "I didn't want to at first, but I had several group projects and that's when I met them. They're really cool."

"And?"

"And they're different. They don't care about statuses. They told me once that they knew who I was and was worried that I would be a snobby rich girl. Guess I proved them wrong, and they were happy that I did. What I like most, they really focus on their studies, and they do it together. We all carried our weight, and received a good grade on those projects."

"See? Told you it wouldn't be so bad." Lyn nudged him on the side.

"Alright already. Now, on with the tour." The campus was big but Lloyd didn't mind. Unlike Darkley's which was only one building, NCU had several buildings with multiple floors which were all connected by sky bridges, making it easy for both student and staff to cross buildings easily. He listened earnestly as Lyn patiently showed him the classrooms, labs, audio-visual rooms and many other areas. After an hour, both stopped by a vending machine to get something to drink. Both then began catching up, asking each other what's been happening: Lloyd about his training, and Lyn about school and work. She explained how she became swamped with her job and projects. She was right after all. Her father always had meetings to go to and projects to supervise. She would also accompany him to different places in Ninjago City as her father talked with different clients or important business partners. She was getting quite a workout as well, as she was always running here and there, moving from one floor to another to fetch different things for her dad. Mrs. Holley was very patient with her and she always answered any questions Lyn might have, which made her job feel easier.

"Also, I'll be pretty busy during the summer because I'll be taking on a summer job," Lyn finished as she took as sip of her soda.

"Oh. I thought it was until your dad finds a replacement," Lloyd replied.

"He did. But he said I'm doing my job really well, he wanted to expose me more to the company's working environment."

"That's good news. Congratulations."

"But, I managed to ask him if I can take a week off before I return to work. I wanted to hang out with you guys before I get busy."

"Sure, I guess. I'm sure the others would love to."

Lyn paused for a while and pursed her lips. "Hmm, though could you ask them –well, especially Sensei - if they would be willing to take a few days off from training?"

"Why's that?"

"Well, because I was thinking of a place outside of town. I wanted to take you and the others on vacation, to make up for my short visit."

Lloyd's eyes grew wide. "That's really generous of you Lyn but you really don't have to."

"But I want to. It's the least I could do. Just think about it okay?" Lyn drank from her soda bottle again.

Lloyd thought for a while whilst playing with his own soda bottle. He finally replied. "Okay, I'll ask." His face then slowly turned red as he felt embarrassed with what he was going to say next. "Hey. This is awkward, but I need to go to the bathroom."

Lyn choked on her drink in chuckles. She then pointed towards the hallway. "First door to your left." Lloyd gave her a thumbs up before walking away. Lyn shook her head as she watched him leave. As she waited for Lloyd to return, she was greeted by an unwanted voice.

"Jackie? That you?" She cringed at the name. Not again. She crossed her arms, masked on a stoic face, and turned to face the one person she's been avoiding for the longest time.

"What do you want, Vince?"

"I just saw you passing by." Vince simply stated.

"What are you doing here? Asking for extra credit from the professors?"

Vince scoffed. "Naw, I had a meeting with a professor regarding some extra curricular stuff." He eyed the girl and noticed that she was alone. "Are you here by yourself? I could go with you to, you know, wherever."

"No thanks. I'm with somebody. I was showing him around."

"Him huh? Hope it ain't a date, cuz you know I'm the only guy for you." Vince reached for Lyn's arm. Lyn abruptly stood up and moved away from him.

"Don't touch me! Do that again and I'm telling my parents, and they'll make sure you won't even get within a hundred yards near me."

Vince put his hands up in defense. "Alright alright, sheesh why are you always so defensive around me?"

"Well there's your attitude for one. Your treatment is so intimidating and abrasive, anyone would completely back away," Lyn's voice was getting louder now. She began wishing that Lloyd would hurry up.

"Okay, then. I promise I won't do it again. I'll be the gentleman you want me to be. Just give us a shot Jackie."

The brunette then grimaced. "Okay, you know what, first of all, stop with the 'Jackie'. It's annoying. Second, stop with the 'us'. There is no 'us', and there will never be. How many times do I have to say it?"

Vince swayed his head in a frustrated manner. "Jacqueline, remember what I said: No matter how hard you resist, it's gonna be the two of us in the end."

"No, I don't believe that. I believe we can carve our own paths. I refuse to be bound by that mindset."

"Or," Vince's voice was now smooth and low. He slowly approached Lyn who started moving back, until her back met with the vending machine. Vince moved his face closer to hers. "Maybe because you have your eyes on someone else. Am I right?"

Lyn looked away. She wanted to escape, but she was cornered. She mustered her remaining courage and gave an answer. "Whether or not I have someone else in mind is my business, not yours."

Vince rested an arm on the vending machine, making Lyn's height appear even smaller than his."Oh do tell me. I bet I know him." A hand grabbed Vince's shoulder. The redhead whipped his head around to see a boy with glasses looking at him.

"Please stop harassing my friend," he politely said.

"Butt out shortie," Vince barked. "This doesn't concern you"

"Oh I think it does. As the Green Ninja," Lloyd removed his glasses and fixed his hair a bit. "It is my duty to defend others from people like you."

"Oh jeez!" Vince backed off, allowing Lyn to run behind Lloyd. "You're that same guy from the gala. You were Jacqueline's bodyguard." It was at this moment, that he realized, that he had made a grave mistake. "Look man, I don't want any trouble."

"Then I would appreciate it if you would stop bothering Miss Jacqueline from now on and keep your distance. Or I will be forced to take extreme measures."

"Alright, I back off." He slowly moved back, towards the hallway, his hands in the air.

"You better promise to stop stalking Lyn. Even better, I better not see your face anywhere." Vince nodded. How did he not realize that this was the Green Ninja? There's no way he'd dare cross this guy.

"Know this Vince." Lloyd moved closer to Lyn and puts his arm around her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Lyn will always be under my protection. And anyone who dares harm her will answer to me." Vince nodded one more time before slowly backing away and finally running off in the opposite direction. When he disappeared, Lloyd and Lyn exhaled loudly. Lyn felt Lloyd's hand still on her shoulder and glanced at it for a while. She didn't mind it one bit; she found it oddly comforting. As for Lloyd, he realized his sudden proclamation and grew a little embarrassed. He removed his hand from the girl's shoulder and laughed awkwardly.

"I guess that was a little too far?"

Lyn gave a little grin and shook her head. "Not at all. And I don't think we have to worry about Vince telling on you."

"Why?"

"If he told everyone who you were, press will eventually find out you threatened him, putting him in a bad light. And I don't think he wants that."

Lloyd chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"Uhm, Lloyd?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Lyn couldn't help it. She just had to embrace him. And embrace him she did. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Lloyd was startled by her action but soon relaxed and gently rubbed her back.

"You're welcome."

...

"Uhm Lyn?"

"Hmm?"

"You're still hugging me." Lyn realized that she had been hugging the Green Ninja longer than she thought and softly pulled away. Her face grew hot with embarrassment. At the same time, she felt a little sad she had to part with him. Lloyd was turning beat red too. He then started rubbing his arm as he decided to put on his glasses once more and disheveled his hair again. "Uhm on with the tour? Or do you wanna go someplace else?"

"Oh no it's fine. A few more places to visit, then we can go."

"Alright. Lead the way."

* * *

 **Chapter 10 was finished earlier than I e** **xpected. So yay!**

 **Thank you to Guest MMM, Jaguarcoco, and Guest EnergyBlast for your reviews.**

 **Guest MMM, well Vince will most likely be pissed. But nothing he can do about it now. I doubt he'd want to compete with the Green Ninja.**

 **Guest EnergyBlast, thanks for pointing out that thing about Nya spoiling Skybound. I totally forgot that they didn't tell the others about it. Buuut maybe we can just say that they tried once or twice going around the streets incognito but not as fugitives? Haha XD. Hmmm, make a sequel involving them in a possible romance stage? We'll seeeeeeeee. Your review as spam? Absolutely not! Your words are very heartwarming and encourage and inspire me to keep writing. So it's a real confidence booster. Thank you!**

 **Till the next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard**


	11. Chapter 11

The air was tense between the Green Ninja and his companion. Lloyd kept looking anywhere but Lyn. Lyn kept her eyes on the floor or straight in front of her. Occasionally, she would lock eyes with him, and both would immediately look away. The thickness of the air was slowly thinned out as they moved from room to room. As Lyn talked about each amenity and the facilities that followed, the awkwardness began to die down. The tour resumed normally with Lyn showing Lloyd other parts of the university, like the library, the cafeteria, and the auditorium. Lloyd was impressed at the design of the library. It wasn't as big as the public or ancient libraries he's been to, but it definitely had a different atmosphere. It was comfortable but still conducive for learning. He marveled at the vastness of the cafeteria and was amused at the various food stands that sold almost the same kinds of foods. The last room was the auditorium, which was found on the highest floor.

"Let's hope they didn't lock it up," Lyn said and pushed open its doors. She went in with Lloyd following behind. They walked a little further and Lloyd's mouth gaped. He saw rows of velvet seats arranged to face a semi-circular stage at the end of the room. The floor sloped downward as it reached the stage. He looked up at the stage and saw lots of speakers suspended from the room's impeccably high ceiling, with huge LED screens on either sides of the stage. He walked down the aisle and looked behind him. As it turned out, there were still higher floors to make room for the rows of seats above them. Lyn hoisted herself to sit on the stage, watching Lloyd turn around and around taking in his surroundings. She found it, quite cute. She sighed. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. She touched her face with her left hand and shook her head.

'Come on, not this again,' she thought to herself and dismounted the elevated platform. She approached the Green Ninja who was still moving forward.

"Try shouting," she told him. Lloyd looked at her confused. "Just try it." The blonde nodded and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"NINJAGOOOOO!"

The auditorium echoed with his voice and resonated with a clear ring. Lloyd looked around, as if he was following the direction of his voice bouncing against the walls.

"That. Was. Awesome!" He said with much exuberance. Lyn grinned.

"Anyone here?" A voice from the outside called. Both of them immediately looked at the doors, not sure which door the voice came from. Lyn then grabbed Lloyd's wrist and ducked behind the nearest row of seats. The farthest pair of doors swung open to reveal a security guard. He must have heard the yell and came to investigate.

"Hello?" the guard called again. In the frontmost row, Lyn and Lloyd crouched down to avoid being seen. Lloyd looked down to see Lyn's hand still on his wrist. She's held his wrist before, but something inside him wished that she held his hand instead. Wait, what? He felt his heartbeat quicken and was so sure his face was turning red with heat. He was glad Lyn wasn't looking at him; she was too busy keeping a lookout. The guard began moving toward the front. Both held their breathes hoping the guard wouldn't catch them. By the time the man reached the second-to-the-last row, he turned around and exited the auditorium. After waiting a few more seconds, Lyn and Lloyd popped out of their hiding place.

"I think he's gone," Lyn said as she began walking toward the exit. "Come on. Let's get out of here, before he changes his mind." Lloyd followed behind her. He suddenly felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out of his pocket. His alarm had gone off. It read:

2 pm: Training with Sensei

Lloyd looked at the time in his phone. It was still 12:30. He still had time. He swiped his phone to snooze his alarm for another few minutes and placed it back in his pocket. He then felt his stomach rumble. He remembered what his brothers said:

 _"At least treat her to lunch."_

"Hey, you hungry?" He asked as they left the auditorium.

"Starving."

"Where do you wanna eat? My treat."

"You really don't have to," Lyn told him as they headed for the nearest elevator. "I can pay for myself."

"No really," Lloyd insisted. "As thanks for the tour. Besides, you always pay for me. Time to return the favor, don't you think?" Lyn thought for a moment. That was actually true.

"Okay. I know a café inside the campus."

When they reached said café, the bell rang as they opened the door. The café had coffee tables arranged here and there and couches near the windows. Light bulbs inserted inside glass jars were suspended from the ceiling and there were several picture frames mounted on the wall. Both of them approached the counter and scanned the menu beside the cashier.

"What'll it be?" the barista asked them.

"Chicken sandwich for me," Lyn spoke and turned to Lloyd. "And you?"

"Tuna sandwich," Lloyd replied.

"And drinks?" The barista asked once more. Lyn then noticed that the lady was eyeing Lloyd as he looked at the menu. Suddenly, she felt uneasy.

"White chocolate frappe," Lyn said to the lady, who whipped her head to face her customer.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that macha frappe is something about tea."

"Oh yes, it's one of our specialties," the barista told him, with a tinge of sweetness in her voice.

"Then one macha frappe, please." The lady at the counter nodded and punched in their orders. Lyn watched her every move.

"Please take a seat," the barista said after giving Lloyd their number. "Your orders will be delivered shortly." Lloyd thanked her and the two found a round coffee table and sat down.

"I think that barista likes you," Lyn told Lloyd as they took their seats.

"You think so?" Lloyd looked back at the counter and caught the barista stealing a glance. Once the barista locked eyes with him, she looked away and resumed her work. Lyn giggled.

"Even in disguise, you don't fail to attract attention."

Their orders finally came and the barista gave Lloyd a wink.

"Enjoy your meal." She sauntered back to the counter.

"I think she likes me too much," Lloyd said has he brushed some of his bangs away from his face.

""Yeah. Too much," Lyn replied as she took a mouthful of the sandwich and pointed at the napkin near Lloyd's drink. In it were a scribble of digits. Lloyd eyed it for a while and looked back at the barista. This time, she was busy making drinks for other customers.

"Too bad for her, though," Lloyd whispered. "Can't really return her feelings."

"Oh? Why's that?" Lyn teased while taking a sip from her frappe.

"You know exactly why."

Lyn tapped her chin. "Hmmm, because you have an imaginary girlfriend that would go crazy if she found out you were seeing someone else."

Lloyd gave her a look. "Haha very funny."

Lyn smirked as she resumed her drink. She meant it as a joke, but, why did she feel sad when she said it? Was she… jealous? No, it can't be that. Can it?

After consuming his sandwich, Lloyd took a sip from his drink. He analyzed the taste and grimaced a little.

"I take it it's awful?" Lyn whispered.

"Not really, but it's weird. There's a taste of tea but also, not tea? I don't get it. I think I'll stick with other drinks next time."

After they ate, they walked around the well-manicured lawns of the campus. Most students had already left, and the few who remained lounged about in the grass or sat on the nearby benches and chatted. Both took a seat at a nearby bench where a tree gave them good shade an ample amount of fresh air.

"So, how'd you find the place?" Lyn asked the blonde.

"It's… well, definitely new to me," the Green Ninja replied.

"Well I'm glad you were free today. I didn't want to take you away from any fixed schedules."

Lloyd awkwardly chuckled. "Yeah, about that…"

Lyn sat upright and looked at him in the eye. "Seriously, you're free, right?" She remembered when he and the ninja had missed training to prepare for her visit. "You don't have any training today, right?"

"Actually…" Lloyd shrugged slowly. "I have training by 2pm?" Lyn glanced at her watch.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! IT'S ALREADY 2:30!" Lloyd jolted from his seat.

"What?! Lemme see." Lyn shoved her watch at Lloyd's face, her finger pointing at the watch's face for emphasis.

"You gotta go!" She pushed Lloyd to move faster. Soon both picked up the pace and sprinted to the gate.

"Can't I just," Lloyd asked as he tried to remove his glasses.

"Not until we're in the clear," Lyn reminded him. He was still at risk of being seen. Once they reached the guardhouse, Lloyd gave his visitor's pass to the guard and the pair zipped to the bus stop. After five minutes, the bus arrived and both hopped on.

"This is not good," Lloyd said. He was now twisting his hands, wherein his palms were starting to sweat. "We're moving too slow. And I've never been late before. What'll Sensei think?"

"Lloyd calm down," Lyn told him. "Here's what you do: when the bus reaches it's first stop, get off there and get going. I'm sure there's a place for you to summon your dragon there." Lloyd gave a short pause before nodding.

"And I'm sorry I got you late," the girl added.

"No, I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I had training in the afternoon," Lloyd told her. "I actually had an alarm to remind me but I must have turned it off instead of snooze. I must have lost track of time." He said as he rubbed his temple in anxiousness.

"Well, they say time flies when you're having fun," Lyn replied. "But for what it's worth, I had fun too. Aaand here's your stop."

The bus doors opened letting passengers off. As Lloyd queued behind some passengers dismounting the bus, he looked at Lyn, who gave a nod, which he returned. He looked at the bus once last time as its doors closed again and the vehicle disembarked. He saw Lyn at the window giving him a small wave. He waved back and watched her leave until she was out of sight. He then whipped his head around and looked for the nearest alleyway.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Lloyd burst into the training room wearing his green gi. His sudden entrance caused quite the commotion and made everyone stop moving and to look at him. The first thing Lloyd could see was his uncle's face, who was in the middle of the room. In his case, right in front of him.

"Lloyd," Sensei Wu greeted. "How good of you to join us." Lloyd, in a fit of guilt, knelt on the floor, his head in a low bow.

"I have no excuse. I'm sorry for being late Sensei."

"May I know what caused your delay, nephew?" the old man asked, even though he perfectly knew the answer. Lloyd bit his lip.

"I stayed out too late with Lyn that I lost track of time."

"Did you not set an alarm to help you keep track of time?"

"I did, but I ignored it when it went off." The old man began stroking his snow white beard.

"And why did you do that?"

"Because, I did not want to leave just yet."

"Why not?"

"Because… I…" Lloyd's voice trailed off. He didn't want to say it, but staying silent won't do any good; and he wouldn't dare lie. He closed his eyes and spoke. Because… Because I wanted spend more time with her."

Silence filled the room. The rest of the ninja just stood where they were, exchanging looks then glancing back at their teammate. This was the first time their leader got scolded for being late. After what seemed like an eternity, Wu finally sighed.

"Lloyd, I understand that you are fond of your friend; but do not let that distract you from your priorities. Being late is a trivial matter, but dishonoring your previous commitments is not. Practice this often, and you will lose the trust of the people around you."

"Yes, Sensei. I'm so sorry." Lloyd felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see his teacher with a gentle smile on his features.

"Chin up, Lloyd," he told the boy. "The best lessons are learned through experience; and I know you've learned yours. Now, let us resume your training." Lloyd slowly got to his feet and followed Sensei Wu to his room. As the door to the training room closed, the others let out a breathe of relief.

"Well that was intense," Jay said.

"I've never seen Sensei react like that before," Zane added.

"Yeah, usually he'd be shouting at this point," Cole finished. "Not quiet, all cold-ish."

"Maybe we shouldn't go through with your plan Kai," Nya stated. "We might get Lloyd into more trouble."

"Why not? We haven't even carried it out yet," Kai replied. "Don't worry; we got this. Next time we see Lyn, we'll execute the plan."

That night, Lloyd tossed and turned that night. He still felt guilty for being late; more embarrassed than guilty, really. He also kept replaying the events that happened that day. The tour, Lyn holding his hand-well, wrist,- and the confrontation with Vince. Whether or not it was a good idea that he revealed himself to that guy, he didn't mind anymore. He realized how far he was willing to go to keep Lyn safe. Could it be that he's… No, that can't be it. As ninja, they were always willing to do anything to protect the people. That had to be it. Then why was he debating over this? Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He unlocked his screen and saw that Lyn sent him a message.

 _I'm sorry to text so late but just a reminder: Don't forget to ask Sensei and the others if they'd be willing to go on a two-day vacation, this weekend preferably. Please update me asap so I can make arrangements. And if they ask where, tell them it's gonna be in my family's rest house. Night_ :)

Lloyd sighed and put his phone away. He felt ashamed and unfit to ask his uncle for more favors after messing up this afternoon. But he also knew that this was Lyn's only free time and that she really wanted to make up for her last visit. Turning to his side, Lloyd closed his eyes while thinking what to do about it. Maybe he can ask the guys for help. It was worth a shot, anyway. After a few minutes of thinking, he drifted to sleep.

 **I'm so in the zone right now.** **And it's thanks to you lovely readers.**

 **Big thank you to Guest EnergyBlast, Guest MMM, and ninjachief547 for your reviews.**

 **@Guest MMM, you'll have to keep reading to find out. I think most if not all these questions will be addressed as the story unfolds :)**

 **@Guest EnergyBlast, yes I made the cover art. Thank you! As for the rumors, I don't really mind Lloyd getting a love interest, even if it's for a brief while. It'll be a good development for him. In relation to this fic, I hope I finish it before Season 8 comes out, otherwise I might lose interest in continuing because he Lloyd might react differently from what I've imagined hehe**

 **Till next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard :)**


	12. Chapter 12

"Lloyd? Lloyd! Get up!" Kai's voice rang in Lloyd's ears, followed by a huge smack from a pillow on Lloyd's back.

"What?" The Green Ninja replied groggily and turned to the other side.

"Uh, get up?" Kai said once more. "You're sleeping in again." Lloyd's eyes shot up and he immediately rolled off his bed.

Today was the day. Friday. Vacation day. Despite Lyn's request, Lloyd asked Sensei Wu two days after his meetup with her. He was worried that if he asked his master immediately and without making up for his mistake, his request would be revoked. He would not have opened his mouth had not Lyn followed him up on Wednesday. However, he was still anxious about it, it didn't take long for his brothers to notice. After telling them, they were more than happy to help. After much sweet talk, pleading with doe eyes and puppy pouts, their master finally budged. Sensei Wu was lenient enough to allow his students two days off, under the condition that his students will train double time next week. The ninja then arranged to meet with Dareth to talk about their contract, and they were happy to hear the news that they're only required to work on the last few episodes of the season, and were asked by the production company if they were up for a second season. They told them that they were definitely not returning. After the meeting, they told Dareth they were taking a weekend off, but they did not tell him where they were going to avoid the press' prying eyes and cameras.

"Let's get our beach bods on!" Jay yelled and grabbed his bag.

"We get it, Jay," Cole scowled.

"Well some one woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Jay replied with a snarky smile.

"Why did Lyn's rest house have to be a beach house, anyway?" Cole wailed. "Not everyone of us immune to water y'know."

"She probably doesn't know, Cole," Lloyd responded awkwardly. "I'm sure there are other things you can do there."

Cole crossed his arms. "There'd better be."

Since they were headed to the beach, the ninja decided that ninja gis weren't fitting for the occasion. Jay was the first to change his clothes. He removed his pajamas and slipped on a blue tank and pair of grey and blue shorts. Kai put on a loose sleeveless red shirt and black shorts. Lloyd grabbed a green collared shirt with grey shorts. Zane got a white buttoned polo with some light blue prints on and khaki shorts. Cole, eager to show off some muscle, only wore black and grey shorts, leaving his upper body bare. Nya, on the hand, wore a navy blue tank top and maroon shorts.

The ninja took off on their dragons by 8am and flew to the shoreline closest to Ninjago City. It was barely inhabited, with the seascape absolutely untouched. White sand ran across the bay, the sea breeze blew against their face. As they looked for a place to land, they spotted a lone cottage along the bay with a fence encompassing a huge perimeter around it. They landed in front of the front gate with Lloyd obliged to knock. After a while, the heavy wooden gate was opened and a face popped from behind.

"Hey, you made it!" Lyn said as she opened the gate wide to let everyone in. She was wearing a white shirt tucked in her denim shorts. Her hair was put in a side braid with aviator shades resting on her head. "Welcome to our family's rest house." The ninja entered eyeing the surroundings. It was quite a big property, but not too big. Upon entering, they had to walk a small flight of stairs that led downward to the cottage, which had two storeys and was made completely of heavy but sturdy wood, complete with a high ceiling to allow proper air mitigation. There was also a nice manicured lawn surrounding the house with the backyard making the transition from the house to the sand, and finally to the sea. The backyard also had enough trees to provide shade and some beach chairs and a hammock were placed on the sand, perfect for an afternoon siesta. A gate enclosed the yard and when opened, there was a beautiful view of the ocean and the horizon.

"This place is…" Nya said.

"Wow," was all everyone could say. It was indeed a splendid place.

"Hey, where's Sensei Wu?" Lyn asked.

"He insisted on staying on the Bounty," Lloyd told her.

"Oh," Lyn replied, somewhat disappointed. "He's not mad at me, is he?"

"Nah, he's just busy with other stuff. Probably misses his spirit smoke," Jay stated.

"I don't know what that is but ok." Lyn then proceeds to show everyone inside the cottage by pulling open its glass doors. There was a huge living room with two armchairs and a six-seater L-shaped couch facing a plasma TV screen mounted on the wall, complete with surround sound speakers. The kitchen was compact but had enough space for cooking. There were two dining tables, a small four-seater coffee table near the kitchen, and an eight-seater dining table in the main dining area. The dining area also extended to a huge covered porch outside with a long wooden table accompanied with wooden benches. Full size glass windows were situated at the side where the sea view was, each window an operable louver from top to bottom so that the glass can be opened to let the breeze in, and closed to keep incoming rains out. The ninja once again gaped at the high-end yet slightly rustic design.

"So, dining and kitchen over there, and living room here," Lyn explained, while gesturing to each room. "The master bedroom, which was suppose to be Sensei's, is first room after the living room." She then led them upstairs . Stopping at the first door, she twisted the knob. The door opened to show two bunk beds and two single beds.

"I think it's safe to say this is the guys' room," Lyn said.

"Whooo awesome!" Jay yelled again and zipped inside with the rest following. The boys immediately raided the room, calling dibs on who will take which bed. In the end, Kai and Jay got the top bunks, Zane and Cole got the bottom bunks, while Lloyd volunteered to sleep on one of the single beds. There was also another door at the end of the room, and Lyn told them it was their personal bathroom.

"There's another bathroom in the next door, but Dad decided to place one in this room so that no one would fight over who gets to shower first." She then went two more doors down, the last door. When she opened it, it had two twin beds with one dresser.

"And this is me and Nya's room," the brunette finished. She stepped aside to let Nya in.

"Nice. I get a bigger bed than the boys," Nya laughed and placed her bag on the bed near the window.

"I'll go check on the guys and see if they haven't torn the room down." Lyn shuffled back to the boys' room and found them looking out the window, out into the beach.

"Why do you have so many bedrooms, Lyn?" Cole asked.

"When I was younger, my family would go here on vacation with our relatives, and me and my cousins would stay in this room. But that was a long time ago. This room hasn't been used in years."

"But it looks so clean!" Kai said while sitting on one of the Ninja and feeling its soft fabric.

"What? You didn't think I'd let my first friends in a long time come over without doing my own cleaning frenzy did you?" Lyn replied.

"But this place is kinda huge," Lloyd pointed out. "How'd you manage to do all this?"

"I didn't. I asked help from the people who take care of the beach house when there are no guests. I've been here since yesterday to prepare everything. Speaking of which, you guys hungry?"

Cole's eyes lit up. "Did someone say hungry? Because I definitely am hungry."

Lyn chuckled and went downstairs with the rest following. She entered the dining room where there were several covered platters. She opened each of them and the ninja's mouths watered in delight. Hot steamed buns, fruits, some eggs and slices of ham, and a bowl of fruit in the center.

"Help yourselves," their host told them. Cole immediately grabbed a plate and stuffed it with every delicacy.

"You prepared all this?" Lloyd finally asked her. The girl beamed proudly.

"By myself, yes. The caretakers only take care of the place when no one's around. But now that we're all here, the whole place is ours. Which also means we'll need to prepare our own meals. But not to worry. This is a fully stocked kitchen."

"Thank you for your utmost generosity, Lyn," Zane answered. The others followed and gave their host thanks.

* * *

After finishing their meal, the ninja began clearing the table. Lyn offered to wash the dishes, but the others objected.

"No way," Jay lifted his finger. "We can't let our gracious host wash our dishes. Lloyd will do it."

"What? Why do I have to do it?" Lloyd complained.

"Seriously? You're complaining?" Cole rebuked him.

Lloyd held up his hands in defense. "No that's not what I-"

"Then it's no problem," Kai cut him off and gently placed his hand on Lyn's shoulder. He then made split-second eye contact with his other brothers. "The rest of us will head off to the beach. Join us when you're done."

"I think I'll stay and help Lloyd," Lyn answered. She then awkwardly moved away from Kai and turned on the tap. She then placed all the dishes in the sink and began to carefully rinse each on. Lloyd watched her for a moment and felt that he himself was being watched. He looked behind him and caught his brothers looking at him with a mixture of sly and playful faces. He glared at them. They simply waved their hands at him before leaving.

"Okay, then. We'll see you outside," Nya called out.

As Lyn and Lloyd began to wash the dishes, they felt the space getting more and more cramped. Lyn rinsed and applied the dishwasher while Lloyd rinsed off the side and put them in the cupboard. Lloyd would often steal quick glances at her. Lyn, however, had her eyes locked on her work. She seemed focused, but in reality, her heart was pounding like a drum. Why did she agree to do the dishes with him?

Her thoughts were interrupted when her fingers came in contact with something warm. She looked down at the glass she was handing to her dishwashing partner. She saw that his fingers ever so gently touched hers.

"Sorry," Lloyd muttered and took the glass from her. Lyn found it quite adorable that he even apologized at the contact. The thought of it made her feel fuzzy inside. Unfortunately after that brief contact, Lloyd was careful not to repeat it, cautiously looking at where to hold before holding the glass himself. This made the brunette a little sad. She then realized: why would she be sad over a brief physical contact? It obviously meant nothing, right?

Lloyd on the other hand was also feeling nervous. That brief moment of their fingers touching sent an electric shock to his body, as if Jay himself zapped him. It sure felt good, and he wanted to feel it again. What was he thinking? He didn't want to take advantage of the situation, so he eyed his movements closer than earlier, avoiding another touch with the girl's hand. Her presence for now was enough.

* * *

"And all done," Lloyd triumphantly said, putting the last piece of tableware in its proper place.

"We make a pretty good team of dishwashers, Lloyd Garmadon," Lyn replied.

"That we do," the Green Ninja replied, smiling at her. Lyn basked in his smile. Just why was his smile so radiant? She then realized she's been staring too long and looked away.

"Uh, yeah, so, let's go see what the others are up to."

When they got there, they saw Cole lying comfortably on one of the beach chairs with his eyes closed.

I thought you guys went to the beach," Lyn told the ghost.

Cole opened one eye and replied, "They did. Since ghosts don't do water, I'd rather stay on dry land than risk getting evaporated."

Lyn covered her mouth is shock. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Cole. I didn't know."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Cole casually replied. There are always other things to do. Say, do you have any more snacks?"

Lyn breathed out in relief. "There's more in the pantry." Cole immediately got up on his feet and went inside the cottage. Lyn then turned her attention to Lloyd.

"Why didn't you tell me ghosts don't do water? I wouldn't have brought you here in the first place."

"Sorry I didn't think it through," Lloyd apologized. "And there wasn't much time to change the venue was there?"

"Yeah," Lyn huffed. "Because someone told me two days before today."

"I told you why I had to wait a few days."

"I know I know. I just feel bad for Cole."

"He'll be fine, really." Lyn nodded and went towards the gate and breathed in the sea breeze. The tide was still pretty high and the waves would touch the steps of the gate as they moved to an almost rhythmic beat. Lloyd looked ahead and saw that the others were having fun in the water. Jay was sliding on Zane's ice slide while Kai floated along the water atop a floating bed. Zane himself surfed alongside his brother with his powers. Nya too used her powers as she zipped across the water's surface, using the water to propel herself forward.

"Hey guys!" Jay called to the pair on the shore. "Come on in! The water's great!"

"Alright, let's go," Lloyd said walking down the stairs. He looked back to see Lyn sitting on the top step, not moving a muscle.

"I think I'll stay here," she said. The Green Ninja raised a brow.

"Why? The water's cool, sun's not too hot, and you're no ghost. So let's go."

When Lyn saw that this guy wasn't going anywhere, she slowly stood up and walked down the steps. Lloyd began to walk faster and before he knew it, water was already reaching his chest. He looked back to see Lyn farther from him, stopping where the water was at her knees.

"Come on, Lyn! We're missing out." The girl didn't move.

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up." Lloyd then eyed her carefully. Her face was pale. Her eyes looked at the water with fear . He understood. He made his way toward her.

"Are you, afraid of the water?"

The brunette looked briefly into Lloyd's green eyes before looking away embarrassed. "No… I'm afraid of what's swimming in the deep end."

"But we're pretty far from the deep end."

"I know, but still."

"You've got nothing to worry about. Come on, take my hand." He held out his two hands for Lyn to hold. She grasped them very tightly to the point her knuckles turned white. Lloyd slowly led her along, his eyes not breaking contact with hers. When the water finally reached their waist, Lyn was starting to panic.

"Lloyd, I think this is far enough," she told him.

"You can do this," he told her. "There's nothing to be af-"

"OHMYGOSH LLOYD SOMETHING BRUSHED UNDER MY FEET!"

Lyn couldn't help herself. She began to climb on Lloyd's back and coiled her arms around her neck as a hard as she could, choking Lloyd in the process. Her legs hug Lloyd's stomach, cutting off his air supply even more.

"Lyn! You're- choking-me!"

"It's still down there! It's still down there!"

Lloyd started to struggle with Lyn's hold of him whilst keeping his balance. The others started to notice the odd situation.

"What are they doing?" Jay asked as he stopped mid-slide. Zane zoomed his vision to the pair.

"Lyn appears to be choking Lloyd," said the titanium ninja.

"I got this," Kai said to the others as he got off his raft and paddled it towards Lyn and Lloyd. By the time he was near, Lyn had gone ballistic. Tears were threatening to show as well.

"Please just get me out. Please just get me out."

"Come on, Lyn." Kai tapped the girl's shoulder. Lyn eyed him and immediately saw his air bed. Looking at the Red Ninja's hand, she immediately held it, Kai helped her into his air bed, leaving Lloyd to gasp for huge amounts of air, and coughing in between breathes. Kai pat his brother's back in support.

"Kai?... Could you?..." Lyn at this point was hugging her knees and pointed toward the cottage. Kai simply nodded and pushed the floating bed toward the shore. When the bed was inching closer to the sand, Lyn jumped off, gave a short "thank you" to Kai and ran into the house.

She's never felt so scared or embarrassed in her entire life. She burst into the kitchen door and ran towards the bathroom. What she forgot was that Cole was in the kitchen and almost ran right through him, had not Cole's reflexes made him dodge out of the way.

"Hey, careful!" Cole told her. Lyn didn't answer. She just darted straight to the bathroom and locked herself in. She rested her one hand on the sink, and wiped her face with the other. She then heard a knock at the door.

"Hey, you okay in there?" Cole asked. "You looked like you've seen a ghost. Well, other than me."

"I'm okay, Cole. Sorry for almost bumping into you."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I-Im okay," Lyn replied with a sniff. "I just need a breather."

"Well at least let me keep you company."

"Oh no, I don't want to disturb you."

"Come on Lyn. You've done so much for us already. The least I can do is be a listening ear. Besides, I got ice cream."

The door knob finally clicked, revealing a puffy-eyed Lyn. Cole led her to the living room and told her to sit. Lyn remembered her lower body was still wet and took a towel, draped it over the sofa, and sat down. Cole went to the kitchen and took out an extra spoon and gave it to Lyn, and both proceeded to devour the tub of vanilla ice cream.

"I hope there's still enough food for tomorrow," Lyn managed to joke.

"Well I've only eaten two bag of chips, five dumplings, and two bananas."

Lyn chuckled. At least she was lightening up. "Do you have a bottomless pit for a stomach? I don't know where all that food's going."

Cole shrugged, a cocky smile on his features. "It's a gift." His face then turned a little more serious. "So, what happened back there?"

Lyn took a deep breathe.

"Well…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Lloyd was being scolded by Kai. Both were still in the shallow end with Lloyd rubbing his neck.

"I wasn't trying to scare her," Lloyd explained. "I was trying to help her get over her fear of the deep water. She felt something touch her feet and she freaked out."

"She already said 'no' the first time," Kai replied. "You didn't have to force it."

"She just wasn't ready. I should go and apologize."

"Give her some space," Kai told him. "Let her calm down first. You did scare the life out of her."

Lloyd looked toward the cottage. He didn't mean to put her through that. He just thought he was being helpful. He gave out a sigh before swimming toward the others.

* * *

"So you're afraid of the water?" Cole clarified while putting a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. They were halfway through with it.

"Not really the water," Lyn replied. "But what's lurking underneath. When I was a kid, I watched this documentary of creatures that swim in the ocean. It talked about how people go missing because of these sea monsters. So every time I swam and my feet brushes against something on the sea bed, I freak out because of what I saw." She then are another scoop.

Cole paused before nodding. "You should tell Lloyd. He'll understand."

Lyn was silent for a while. "I will, maybe this evening."

"Why wait till dinner? We didn't even have lunch yet."

"I don't want to face him yet after that stunt I pulled."

Cole scooped another chunk of ice cream. "Well, I think when you have to settle your debts with someone, you should do it as soon as possible. Confronting someone can be scary, but it's better to face it head on than prolonging the inevitable. The more you avoid it, the more painful it is when it finally arrives."

"You think so?" Lyn asked as she eats her own new scoop.

"Let me tell you a story: Back when I wasn't a ninja, I was stuck doing things I didn't want to do. I was fed up of following my dad's footsteps, training to fit shoes I never wanted to fill. So I ran away. But I couldn't face my dad or tell him why I left. So I sent him letters telling him that I was doing okay in that boarding school he sent me to. But I was long gone by then."

"So in short, you lied to him."

Cole sighed. "Yeah. Something I'm not proud of. But when I met Sensei Wu and the others, I had to face my father again. And it wasn't in the best of situations. But despite everything, he accepted me for being who I am now and said he was proud of me for standing for what is right. So, Lyn, you shouldn't worry too much. Just go and tell him when you can."

Lyn pressed her hands together and leaned her chin on them. Her left foot began tapping in a steady rhythm, indicating she was in deep thought. Finally she turned to the ghost and said, "Okay."

"Great," Cole replied. The ice cream was consumed. He looked at the time and it read: 10:45. "I think we should start prepping lunch.

"Yeah I'll do that. Wanna help?" Lyn said as she stood up.

"Ehhh I want to but I think I'll pass," the ninja of earth replied. "Last time I cooked something the others swore it was cursed. But I can call the others if you want."

"Nah, let them enjoy themselves," Lyn told him as she tied her hair into a messy bun. "Besides, with me as head chef, what could go wrong?"

"Alright, you're the boss, Boss."

"Hey Cole?"

"Ya?"

"Thanks."

* * *

 **Chapter 12 is up!**

 **Thank you Guest EnergyBlast, Guest MMM, ninjachief547, Jaguarcoco, and AdikoKoizumi19 for your reviews! Till then ~** **SnowflakeShard :)**

 **Guest EnergyBlast: Go for it! Make an account and share your stories. :)**

 **As for tips, here are my top 3 tips:**

 **1\. Have an outline and a summary of your story.**

 **Start with the summary so you already have an overall idea of what your story is about. The outline helps you map out from start to finish. However, it is best to work on your beginnings and endings first before going to the middle. Knowing your endgame helps you figure out how toto get there and avoid inconsistencies.**

 **2\. Give time for character development.**

 **If you're introducing say an OC, it is best to give that character some time to shine through their personal experiences and struggles. To make them more relatable, give them an attribute your readers will want to sympathize with, something that makes them want to root for that character.**

 **3\. Research**

 **For settings and certain situations, I do research. This helps especially in action scenes or terms of certain landscapes or other geographic locations. I also research on how to improve my writing by watching vlogs in Youtube on how to make good stories and avoid writing pitfalls. Following Picar's 22 rules of storytelling is also a good start.**

 **I hope these tips help. If you want, we can chat in Tumblr or you could send me an ask. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh man, it's so hot," Jay complained as he and the others waddled back to shore. It was high noon now, and the water had receded into low tide.

"Sorry, man, it's just me," Kai replied, ever so confident.

Nya shook her head at his poor attempt at humor. "What'll we do about lunch?"

"I recall Lyn saying that the kitchen is fully stocked," said Zane. "Perhaps we can see what we can cook with what's available." Everyone agreed to the idea and grabbed their towels from the beach chairs to dry themselves off. As they reached the porch, the kitchen door opened to reveal Cole.

"Right on time. I was just about to get you guys. Lunch is ready."

"Please tell me you didn't cook it," Kai groaned.

"Well, you'll be surprised at my work now," Cole said proudly. He then realized they were all wet.

"Hey Lyn?"

"Yeah?" Lyn appeared from behind the door. A white apron was draped around her and her hands wore mittens.

"Maybe we should move the food to the dining table outside."

After moving the plates, tableware, food and drinks to the outdoor dining table, everyone's stomachs were rumbling.

"Thank you for the food!" Everyone stated. There was baked chicken, sweet corn, steamed fish, rice, and fruit juice.

"This is so good!" Jay complemented. "Not like Zane's cooking, but it's definitely got it's own flare."

"Lyn, are you sure Cole helped you out?" Kai joked. "This level of cooking is too high for his skills."

"Hey! I heard that!"

Lyn chuckled. "Yes, Kai. Cole helped cook each of these dishes. Though I had to keep a close eye on him to make sure he followed my instructions to the letter. I kinda shouted at him once or twice."

"Thrice," the ghost corrected. Everyone then began laughing. Lyn's eyes then shifted to Lloyd, who seemed to have hardly touched his food. If anything, he was playing with it, moving them around his plate with his fork. The Green Ninja felt eyes on him and looked up just in time to see Lyn look away. Up to this point he was still guilt stricken. He wanted to apologize, but he wanted to do it in private.

"Hey, you're not eating, Lloyd," he heard Nya say.

"Oh sorry, just spaced out." He then began stuffing food in his mouth like nothing happened. The others then began feel the tension rise across the table as everyone ate silently after that. No one decided to bring up what happened earlier.

"That was some good food," Cole said after his fourth serving, followed by a huge burp.

"Okay, whose turn is it to wash the dishes?" Lyn asked rubbing her hands.

"I'll do it," Nya volunteered and began to pick up the tableware.

"Me too," Jay chimed in, looking eager to spend time with his girlfriend, even if it's just dishwashing.

"Then I'll guess I'll take a shower then," Kai said and headed inside. Cole said that he was going to watch TV and Zane decided to join him. Everyone began to disperse to their own thing, except Lloyd and Lyn. Neither of them moved a muscle. After a good one minute, Lloyd opened his mouth.

"Lyn?"

The brunette shifted her gaze from the door to her friend. "Hmm?"

"Can we talk?" The Green Ninja began fidgeting with his fingers. He was so sure she was mad at him.

"Sure." The girl coolly replied. She was trying to act as if nothing happened earlier, but she was just as nervous as he was.

"Look I-" Loud blaring music came screaming from the living room.

"Turn that down!" Nya yelled.

"I'm trying!"

"Hold that thought." Lyn lifted her finger and zipped inside to find Cole pressing random buttons from three different remotes.

"Why are there so many remotes?" The ninja of earth pressed another button only to change the to the next song. Lyn grabbed one remote from him and toned down the volume. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a glare. Cole pretended to shrink in fear.

"Not gonna yell at me again, are ya?" The brunette shook her head in amusement. She taught him which remote controls which, orienting him with the various buttons that came with each remote. After a while, the ghost for the hang of it.

"So this is for the TV, this one for the speakers," Cole clarified, pointing to the black remotes, one glossy and the other not so glossy. Lyn nodded. He then held up the silver one. "And this is the karaoke remote?"

"Did someone say 'karaoke'?" Jay wiped his hands with a towel and approached the living room with Nya behind him. Kai was also coming down from the stairs, his hair still in perfect, spiky condition.

"We're singing?" the Red Ninja asked casually.

"You guys sing?" Lyn asked with enthusiasm. She didn't expect these guys to be musically inclined.

"We tried. Kind of." Jay told her. "Some time ago we had to enter the Ninjago Talent Show to get this fang blade for a trophy. Cole's dad coached us, actually."

"Interesting," the brunette replied and went closer to the TV console, opened a drawer and pulled out two wireless microphones. She fished out some batteries as well and inserted them in each mic. She handed them to Jay, who took them gleefully. She opened another drawer and pulled out a big black book and handed it to Cole. "Here's the song book. Knock yourselves out." Cole gave her a big nod and began flipping through the pages. The girl then went back outdoors. Lloyd has disappeared. She looked for him in the backyard. Not there. The beach. Empty. She checked the whole perimeter. Nothing. Empty-handed, she returned to the house where Cole was singing his heart out:

 _Someday out of the blue_

 _In a crowded street, or a deserted square_

 _I turn and I see you, as our love were new_

 _Someday we can start again someday soon…_

Nya, who was leaning on one of the consoles, caught sight of Lyn looking pretty down. The former samurai approached the girl. "Hey, you okay?"

Lyn sighed. "I can't seem to find Lloyd anywhere. He was about to talk to me but I had to help with the karaoke machine. And when I got back he disappeared."

"I think he went to the boys' room to take a shower. You still upset about earlier?" Lyn's cheeks were tinted red as confirmation.

"Hey," Nya put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Lloyd's not mad at you. If anything, he's drowning in guilt for what he did. Just give him time. You'll both work it out."

"Whooo! See that score? 90!" Cole celebrated. "That's how its done!"

"Says the guy who dropped out of Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts after like, two days." Jay mocked. Cole stared him down.

Kai cleared his throat as he gripped his microphone. "Step aside and let a real performer take the stage."

Lyn giggled once more at their antics. Perhaps hanging out with them will get her mind off other things. Her confrontation will have to wait. She plopped herself on the couch and listened to the merry tune that started to play.

 _You can dance_

 _Every dance with the guy_

 _Who gave you the eye_

 _Let him hold you tight_

 _You can smile_

 _Every smile for the man_

 _Who held your hand_

 _'Neath the pale moonlight_

 _But don't forget who's taking you home_

 _And in whose arms you're gonna be_

 _So darlin'_

 _Save the last dance for me_

Lyn swayed herself to the beat and melody of the tune. Kai was actually not bad, hitting each note with clarity. Jay too swayed his head in enjoyment. The Blue Ninja began to dance around, gracefully waving his hands to ultimately stop in front of Nya. He held out his hand, a sheepish grin on his face. Nya chuckled lightly and took his hand. Both goofily waltzed the floor while Kai serenaded with his voice.

"May I have this dance?" Lyn turned her head and saw the master of earth holding his hand out to her. She took it without hesitation and Cole twirled her around.

"Come on, Zane! Join us!" Lyn swayed toward the quiet nindroid and grabbed his titanium hand. Zane stood up and moved along with them. Every now and then, they would switch partners: Lyn would dance with Jay, Nya with Zane, and so on. Even Cole danced with Nya. Kai would also use his free hand to dance with his sister. When the song ended, every one eagerly waited for the score.

"95? Are you kidding me?!" Cole raised his arms in defeat. Lyn patted his otherwise translucent shoulder.

"Hey, guys. What I miss?" Lloyd descended from the stairs, his hair slightly messy with drops of water trickling at his face.

"Oh, just some karaoke and dancing," Jay replied.

"Okay. Whose turn is it?" Kai raised the mic to the group. He pointed it toward their host. Lyn took the hint and shook her hands.

"I think I'll pass."

"Come on," they coaxed. "You already didn't swim with us, at least sing with us." The girl pursed her lips. They're right about that though. She looked at Lloyd, who was avoiding eye contact. He was sitting farthest from her. She looked back at Kai and took the mic. Flipping through the song book, she chose her song and began to sing.

 _There it is, gotta hold tight_

 _Can't stop thinking bout' the moment tonight_

 _Think fast, it ain't gonna last_

 _Gotta make it count and gotta do it right_

 _Wanna, stand ground, make a better sound_

 _Knock em' down, following the feeling I might_

 _Just go strong cause the pressure's on_

 _All eyes are on me I better carry the light_

 _Wait just a minute_

 _I fail this now I'll never live it down_

 _Can it wait just a little_

 _The clock keeps ticking and the time is now_

 _Just wait for a minute_

 _My heart quit beating and I'm not ready yet_

 _I know I'm not gonna win it_

 _A thought that I put in my head_

 _I can't lie, I'm nervous_

She then realized: did she choose this song because that's precisely what she was feeling? She caught a glimpse of the Green Ninja, who was also watching her in return. Her eyes grew wide and went back to the screen. Meanwhile, Lloyd's stomach was churning, and heart was still heavy. And this song wasn't helping. He decided to go to the kitchen for a drink. Kai followed him.

"What's taking you so long?" Kai whispered as Lloyd searched the fridge. "You guys should've made up by now."

"I'm trying, Kai," Lloyd told him. "But every time I try to talk to her, she's doing something else. It's not like I can just drag her away from the others."

"Leave the others to me. And if you want to make a proper apology, you better have lots of time so that she doesn't get distracted."

"When would that be?"

"My guess, after dinner. Everyone will be tired or too busy preparing for bed, you can 'sweep her away' then." Lloyd looked at his brother, a mixture of annoyance and worry. "Besides, we're on vacation! Lighten up. What happened between you two isn't the end of the world." Lloyd nodded and pulled a can of soda from the fridge. Not exactly that comforting for advice, but advice is advice anyway.

The afternoon went on with more songs, and everyone eventually got a turn to sing. Lloyd wasn't so fortunate, for his voice became hoarse from drinking cold soda. In the end, he couldn't speak as much, making his plan a little more complicated than it already was. By 5 o'clock, Zane began cooking dinner and Kai helped set the table. As usual , his culinary prowess never failed to disappoint. After the meal, everyone decided to hit the hay and wearily went upstairs. All except Lloyd and Lyn. Lyn pretended to fix the couches when she heard Lloyd call her name.

"Lyn?" The blonde started once more. His voice was cracked and raspy, but he didn't care. He wanted this off his chest now. "Can we-"

"Yeah," she replied immediately. "Though, can we talk outside? I don't think I want the others hearing. No offense to them." He nodded and followed her to the backyard. Lyn opened the gate to let the open air breeze through, and both of them sat down on the empty beach chairs. The night was beautiful and serene. The sky was clear, and the moonlight shone against the sand. But for the two, silence enveloped them, the sounds of rustling leaves and beating waves louder than anything else. Finally, someone opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Lloyd choked.

"It's okay," Lyn replied. "I'm sorry too. I should've told you sooner I didn't want to swim. "

"But, you can swim?"

"In a pool, yes. At the beach, heck no."

"I see," A long silence commenced before Lloyd spoke again. "What happened?"

The girl but her lip. "It's a stupid reason, really."

"I kinda doubt that," Lloyd replied, looking at the stars above before looking at her. "I don't think it beats the fear of ginger bread men."

"What?"

"Don't ask."

Lyn took a deep breathe. She trusted this guy before, so there's no need to turn back now. "I'm afraid of what's under the water. Every time I feel something brush against me, I flip out and come running back to shore. It just, scares me somehow."

"Huh."

"I told you. Stupid, right?" The blonde shook his head.

"No not at all. You know, Kai hates the water too. Or being near any body of water really."

"Really? But he was clearly fine earlier."

"He overcame it eventually. Probably when he had to save me from drowning. But that's a story for another time. My point is, everyone has their fears. I was also told that Cole used to be scared of dragons before having one as a pet."

"No way."

"Yeah. So it's fine Lyn. You don't have to hide it. And if you want to face it, I've got your back. Always will."

Lyn blushed at the last part. She was thankful the dim porch lights weren't enough to completely illuminate her face. "Thanks Lloyd." The tension between them had finally disappeared. Both began to relax themselves more and listened to the soothing music of the sea. Neither obviously wanted to go back inside, so Lyn struck a conversation. "So, what are you afraid of?"

The Green Ninja paused. "Losing those closest to me. I lost my dad so many times, and each time, it really hurt."

The girl held her mouth. She obviously hit a vein. "I'm so sorry Lloyd. I didn't mean to." But he just kept going.

"I lost him to the darkness, then I thought him dead when Pythor threw him off a cliff. I even had to send him to the cursed realm myself, only to see him again one last time before we had to destroy the cursed realm for good."

"But?" She could sense an element of hope in this story.

"But, I am at peace. I got to say goodbye, and he has given me so much right after he became cleansed of evil. If anything, it taught me to cherish each and every moment with your loved ones, because you never know what tomorrow may bring." Then there was silence, followed by a muffled sob. Lloyd peered closer and noticed Lyn wiping her eyes.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm really am jealous of you Lloyd Garmadon."

"Why would you be jealous of me?"

"You're strong. You don't back down from everything that life throws at you. I can't even handle my own life. I wish I had your courage."

"Lyn…"

"And you have such wonderful friends. You're so close you're family. My closest relatives moved away a long time ago, and up until now I never had any real friends. And when I have problems, I just whine like a baby." At this point Lloyd got up from his seat and moved closer to Lyn. He kneeled in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. Lyn froze when she saw him so close. Inside, she was telling her heart to slow down.

"But it doesn't have to be like that anymore." Lloyd said. The his golden hair lightly danced to the air, and his green eyes glowed with sincerity. The brunette smiled.

"Not anymore. Thanks to you." Suddenly, a twinkle in the night sky caught their attention: a shooting star.

"Quick! Make a wish!" Lyn shook Lloyd's shoulder and closed her eyes. Lloyd chuckled and did the same. When they opened their eyes, Lyn asked, " So what did you wish for?"

Lloyd eyed the sky and grinned. "More great memories with my family and friends. You can never have too many. How about you?"

Instead, Lyn stood up and strode back to the house. "It's a secret."

"Hey that's not fair! I told you my wish!"

"You could've said no." She reached for the door knob and noticed Lloyd still on his spot in the sand. "Aren't you coming?"

"You go on ahead. I think I'll stay out here a little longer." Lloyd then sat on his beach chair and leaned back to stargaze.

"Ok, then. Good night."

A few seconds after Lyn had gone, Lloyd sat up , his eyes still locked to the ethereal view above. 'What did you wish for?' Lyn's question rang in his mind. He sighed, feeling a bit guilty he lied.

'To always be by your side.'

When that shooting star passed by, that was the first thing that popped in his mind. And he actually meant it. Lyn was kind, cheerful, generous, down-to-earth, and full of surprises. She was one of a kind, and he knew there was no other person who would come close to who she was. Lloyd calmed his beating heart as he thought of her. Was this it? Is this what it meant to like someone?

'She's just a friend.' Lloyd thought to himself. 'A very special friend.' Suddenly, Lyn's face flashed on his mind. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her hair. His stomach knotted as he shook his head to rid himself of the mental image. He had never felt like this before, let alone towards a girl. Truly he was happy to have met her, and seeing her hurt or sad made him feel responsible for her welfare. Sure, as a ninja, he was always happy to serve the people; but for Lyn, he realized he was willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to keep her safe and happy.

He then put his hands on his head. 'Oh who am I kidding? She's not just a friend anymore. Not a girlfriend, but not just a friend. What?' His thoughts swirled around in his brain. Questions like, 'What now?' and 'What if,' haunted him. He pondered on this until tiredness overtook him. He shuffled towards his room. Most of his brothers had gone to sleep, but not Kai. He was still up on his bunk, the light from his phone illuminating his face.

"So?" Kai whispered while Lloyd climbed on his bed.

"So what?" Lloyd replied, pulling the sheets over his shoulder.

"Did you make up yet?"

"Yup."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Anything else happened?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

"Oh come on!"

"Shhhhhh!" Jay's voice croaked. "Sleep now, talk tomorrow."

Lloyd turned to the other side and dozed off. Kai put away his phone and rested his head on his pillow. He actually saw the two conversing at the beach, and judging by their body language, something must have happened between the two. He really wanted Lloyd to recognize his feelings toward this girl. He closed his eyes and drifted off. What he didn't know was, his little brother was already ahead of him.

* * *

 **This is it pancit! After 13 chapters, Lloyd's finally being honest with himself! Geez Lloyd why you so slow? Btw here are the names of the songs that were sung:**

 **Cole - _Someday Out of the Blue_ by Elton John, though I thought of Jonathan Young's cover when he sang**

 **Kai - _Save the Last Dance_ _for Me_ by Michael Buble. Okay, Vincent Tong can sing and he sings good! **

**Lyn - _Nervous_ by Michelle Creber and BlackGryph0n**

 **Thank you to ninjachief547, Guest EnergyBlast, Jaguarcoco, Guest MMM, and The Mayor of Ninjago City for your reviews!**

 **Now into the bad news: My classes are starting this June 13 so I will have to enter into hiatus... Again... I don't know how long but it may last all year due to me undertaking my thesis. I may pop up to update or post one shots but no promises. So bear with me guys. Till next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard**


	14. Chapter 14

"Would you mind sending these documents to the accounting department? They've already been approved."

"Sure thing Dad." Lyn took a handful of folders and left her father's office. It's been a month and a half since her summer break started and she had grown accustomed to the environment, and she actually enjoyed it. She even got used to wearing smart casual clothing, as it made her feel part of the company; it also prevented her from standing out like a sore thumb.

The accounting department was two floors down. Lyn exited the elevator and proceeded down the hall and opened the glass door that led to said department. She navigated around the cubicles until she reached the office of a woman that was slightly larger than everyone else's. She was probably in her mid-thirties, and she was the head of the accounting department.

"Here you go, Ma'am Connie. Those have been signed and verified." The head accountant gracefully accepted them.

"Thanks, Lyn. And it's just Connie. No need to go by 'Ma'am.' The girl shook her head.

"Nah. Ma'am Connie sounds better. Anyway, is there anything I can help you with before I go?"

"Nope, all good. Thank you again."

"Then I'll be off," Lyn waved goodbye. As she walked towards the elevator, she turned to a corner, bumping to a coworker. "Sorry I- Vince?" The guy makes a eye contact with her. But without a hint of expression. He simply cast his eyes down and swerved the cart he was pushing away from the girl's general direction. Lyn eyed him as he left, her mind in a state of disbelief and curiosity.

'What's he doing here?' She continued to tail Vince, watching him pull envelopes of various sizes and handing them to various employees before heading towards the hallway and into the elevator. He takes a turn which lead to the service elevator, pressing the down button. Lyn hid behind the last corner just in time for Vince to turn his head. The elevator bell rang, opened its doors and Vince went in. Lyn took a deep breathe and ran in, just before doors closed. Vince's went round as disks as he saw the brunette slide her way inside. He then moved to the wall as close as he could, leaning against the cold metal in the process. Lyn did the same and stuck to the opposite wall. She was slowly regretting her decision, locking herself in an elevator with this jerk. But her curiosity wouldn't let her live this down. Besides, the elevators had cameras, so there's no way Vince would try something, lest she simply needed to access the security office and give them proof. Using that as her shield, Lyn tried to speak, but Vince cut her off.

"What are you doing?" the red-head asked, still not looking at her.

"That's what I'd like to ask you," Lyn replied, crossing her arms. "If you're here to stalk me or something, this is a new low."

"Pffft, stalk you, right."

"Well you were!" Lyn said as Vince pressed a button on the panel. "What are you doing?"

"Telling you to get out of this elevator." The doors then opened, and Vince pointed toward the hallway. "Get out."

"Uh-uh. I'm not leaving until I get answers." She pressed the close button.

"Yes, you are!" Vince pressed the open button.

"No I'm not!" The two started pressing the buttons so much that a roaming security guard came to inspect the commotion.

"What's going on here?" He boomed.

Vince pointed his finger at Lyn. "She's disrupting my work! She won't let me get to the mailroom!"

"Sorry about this, Sir," Lyn reasoned. "This is just a misunderstanding! There was just ahh- little malfunction with the switches."

"Hmmm," the guard cleared his throat, then gestured both of them to step out of the lift. He then pressed the close button from the outside and let the elevator descend, leaving the three of them in the hallway. He looked at each of them, obviously not sure how to address them, knowing that this girl is the boss' daughter. "Look kids, I don't know what you two are up to, but if you have a spat, take it somewhere else, and not during work hours. It's unprofessional."

"Yes, sir." Lyn gave an apologetic bow. "We do apologize for the unruliness."

"Good day, Miss. Sir." The older man tipped his hat and left. When he had gone, Lyn looked around and found that Vince already left. Lyn groaned in frustration.

'This isn't over.'

The following day during the afternoon break, Lyn skidded to the mailroom. It was on the ground floor so she went to the elevator immediately, but not before packing some scones on the way. If Vince won't talk, maybe some treats would do the trick.

As she reached the room, she was greeted by a chubby man in uniform. "Oh hello, Ma'am. Can I help you with something?"

"Actually I have scones here." Lyn held up the paper bag. "Perhaps you'd want one."

"Oh, thank you, Miss." The man took the bag from her and sat on the couch. "Don't mind if I do! Hey new guy. There's food. Want some?"

"No thanks, Sir." The voice replied. "I'm good."

"Allow me," Lyn offered and went inside the storage room, where Vince was cataloging. She cleared her throat. Vince turned to see her but immediately looked away. Now Lyn was surprised. Normally Vince would jump at the chance to talk to her, so this was beyond strange.

"Want some scones?" she started but did not go near him.

"Get lost, Jacqueline. I'm not in the mood."

'Okay, something's definitely up.' " Jeez, I was just asking. No need to be a sassmouth."

Vince scoffed and turned to face her. "Look who's talking? What's it like to get a taste of their own medicine?

Lyn raised her finger, obviously offended, but then slowly put it down when she saw what he meant. "Hey, you did it first."

"Whatever." The redhead then stood up. "Excuse me."

"Excuse you! The way I see it, you're working in the mailroom. And I work as the President's assistant. So that technically makes me your superior." She felt bad for abusing her position, but she desperately needed to know why Vince was here. Was he really stalking her again? If he was, this was a whole new level.

"That's not how it works, you dummy!" Vince yelled back. "We're both interns so there's no hierarchy between us. Get that through your thick head."

'Shoot, that's right. Dang it.' Defeated, Lyn crossed her arms. "Fine. Then tell me why are you here, and I'll be sure to get out of your hair forever."

"Swear it."

"You have my word." Lyn holds up her hand. Vince is satisfied by this and sighed. "Alright. I'll tell you over break tomorrow. I gotta get to work before I get fired."

"Fine. Same time. And you better not stand me up." The girl left the storage room and found Vince's superior fast asleep on the couch. She suppressed a giggle and exited the mailroom. 'That was incredibly weird. But it felt good.' Lyn was somewhat happy she confronted Vince like that. Having leverage sure put her above him in a way. Though she felt guilty for being bossy. But what does it matter? He probably went there covertly to find her again. Will he ever stop? But she hasn't seen him since that University visit. Why show up now? And he didn't seem like his domineering self either. She had to get to the bottom of this.

Next afternoon, Lyn slipped into the mailroom again and only saw Vince there.

"Your supervisor on break? But I brought donuts." She held up a box with a dozen glazed donuts and set it on the table. Vince ignored her and continued to file the incoming mail. After five minutes of silence, Lyn grew impatient.

"Well if you're just gonna ignore me, why'd you even tell me to be here?" To her surprise, Vince turned to face her and the distance between them slowly began to decrease.

"Stay back Vince. I'm warning you!" She held a small pepper spray in front of her. Vince gently grabbed her hand and took it from her. Vince stopped and leaned to her eye level, their faces only six inches apart. Lyn lunged her fists at him, which he easily catches. The brunette cringed at his touch. They lock eyes.

"Let go of me. Or I'll scream." Lyn warned, her strength waning. Vince flashed his signature grin and let her go.

"It's your fault I'm in this mess," Vince grumbled and went back to sorting the mail as if the whole incident never happened.

"How is this my fault?!" Lyn asked, rubbing her knuckles while searching for the security camera. There was one at the corner, but it's been unplugged. No doubt by Vince, who began to plug it back on.

"If you had just accepted that we were dating, I wouldn't be here." The guy continued.

"That's coz we never were in the first place! Why do you keep saying we are a couple or something when I never agreed to be your girlfriend?"

"I told you. whether we like it or not, we'll end up together. It's always been that way."

Lyn's ears perked. "Wait. You said 'we'." Vince paused for a moment before resuming his work.

"So?"

"That means you're not into this relationship any more than I am. What's going on?"

'Oh man, I said too much.' Vince's hands balled into fists. "Break time's over." Then, as if on cue, the bell rang. Lyn turned her heel to go, but not before telling Vince something.

"This conversation still isn't over. We'll continue tomorrow."

Vince bit his lip. 'This is not good.'

* * *

 **Hello, my beloved readers. It's my semester break, so I'm taking a little time off. I'm sorry this is chapter is a little short, but I wanted to post something before I ran out of time. Thank you so much for supporting me and encouraging me to take my time. It inspires me, even more, to get back on my writing when I can. Thank you all for your reviews and continuous support! I'm planning to post at least one more chapter before going back on hiatus again. Let's all hope I can get it out within this week.**

 **So, about this chapter, what do you guys think? I had my doubts about Vince and Lyn's interaction and if it was a little out of character for Lyn to follow Vince like she did. I would love to hear your thoughts on it, but I can't change what I've already written, but I would just love to know your opinions. And if it was indeed out of character, I apologize in advance. Again thank you so much, all of you! Till next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard**


	15. Chapter 15

3 PM. Lyn arranged her desk before heading to the mail room. After the stunt Vince pulled on her, she decided to bring a steel ruler and stuffed it in her sling bag. It wasn't much, but at least a hit from it might give her time to escape. She silently entered the small room, where the same fat person was carrying a load of boxes. As he sees the brunette knocking on the door, he set the boxes down and wipes his brow.

"Look, Miss," the man spoke. "You're a really nice girl, but you don't need to come here to give us food every day."

"I guess so," Lyn replied. "I promise this is the last day. Eclairs?" She handed a paper bag to him. The man gratefully took the bag from her and went to the storage room.

"Hey, kid!" He said to Vince, who was doing his usual mundane tasks. "It's been three days since the boss's daughter has been coming over. At least show some respect and eat some of her food!"

Vince inhaled deeply and suppressed the urge to exhale loudly. He lousily approached his supervisor and took an eclair from the bag.

"That's more like it." The older man said. "Now, what do you say to her?" Vince resisted to roll his eyes but his face could not hide the vexation boiling within. In his most stoic and monotone voice, he let out a dry "thank you" and ate the treat before returning inside the storage room.

"I know the new guy can be rough around the edges, but he's alright." The older man said once again. "I think I see why you like him."

"Oh no, it's not like that at all, Sir," Lyn waved it off cooly, but deep down she was disgusted by the comment. 'Be professional. Overreacting would make him assume I'm denying it.' "

"Ah, young love. No need to deny it, Ma'am."

"Please stop, Sir."

"Why, when I was your age, I remember meeting this gir-"

"SIR, I SWEAR IF YOU MENTION IT THAT WAY AGAIN AND I WILL HAVE YOU FIRED ON THE SPOT!" Lyn's voice rang clear, but not enough for it to qualify a yell. She immediately covered her mouth at her sudden outburst. She saw the fat man stop his rambling, mouth slowly closing. He dropped down to his knees and clasped his hands.

"Ma'am, please," he begged, his eyes beginning to water. "I didn't mean to go out of bounds. Please don't fire me. I'm really sorry! I'll do anything. I desperately need this job." Lyn's eyes began well up as well. She didn't mean to go that far, but the damage had already been done. She knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. Please forgive me." The man sniffled and wiped his tears, making eye contact with the girl.

"So I am not fired?"

"You're not fired."

"Oh thank you so much, Miss!" The man returned her embrace. "Oh. May I hug you? I'm just so happy I'm not fired!" Lyn chuckled in between sniffs and tightened her hug.

"I really am sorry for reacting like that," Lyn said. "I didn't have to threaten you. I didn't have control over my emotions."

"It's alright. I too apologize for my curtness. Though, can I ask you something? Why _are_ you here?"

Lyn sighed. No hiding it now. She can't hurt this person any more than she already did. "Though my 'relationship' with Vince is anything but romantic, I have some personal matters that need discussing. And it's not something I can talk outside of the workplace. Would you allow me and him some privacy, please? If that is alright with you."

"Ah, I see. No problem, Miss. I'll be over somewhere over yonder not listening to whatever you have to say to each other." The man steadily got up and went for the door. "Though be sure he gets back to work by the end of the break, please Miss?" The brunette gave him a mock salute.

"One more thing," Lyn stated. She held out her hand. "We never were properly introduced. I'm Lyn."

"Monty."

As the Monty left the room, Lyn strode into the storage room once again.

"Wow, such drama." Vince's voice greeted her once more.

"I take it you saw the whole thing?"

"Pfft, I heard the whole thing," Vince snorted. "Anyways let's get this over with." He dusted himself up and propped himself against a shelf. "So?"

"So, who forced you into this?" Lyn started, her back against the doorpost.

Vince took a deep breath. He thought about this again and again last night. He might as well let it out. He felt that he had to anyway. "I wasn't forced okay? It was more like drilled into my brain since I was little. Mom always told me to aim high, both at getting a job and getting a girlfriend of a good family. And who better to date than you?"

Lyn rubbed her temple. "Here we are again. Back to the status life. Is that all there is to me? Am I that glamorously rich?"

"Well duh! It's not just the wealth. Your family is one of the biggest business empires in all of Ninjago! Marrying heirs of businesses is no uncommon thing you know."

At this point, Lyn wanted to cry once more, but she sucked it up. She wasn't going to cry, especially regarding this matter. "And is that all I am to the world? A face? A ticket to my family's wealth? You know what, this is why I'm sick of this way, when everyone around treats you like nothing more than a lunch pass."

"That's not the point. The point is getting married is the best way both our parents' businesses will benefit."

"At the expense of our own happiness?

Vince shrugged. "Hey, I was cool with it. You're the only one holding back Jackie. You're the problem! Not me!"

"Are you serious right now? You never even bothered to try and to get to know me properly. Sure we've known each other since we were in elementary school but we weren't exactly friends. One day, you just sent me flowers and immediately asked me on a date. And when I'd refuse, you'd grab my arm and force your way. You know how intimidating that is?"

"Excuse me, that started when I was getting tired of you rejecting me all the time."

"You could have at least tried to get to know me as a friend first. Then maybe I would have given you a chance. But your methods are just beyond awful. And now, I know why. You were never interested in me. You were just interested in my family's name and wealth."

"I was kinda into you actually," Vince said. "You were always cute, but that was it. I was never up to the whole relationship thing, but my mom wanted me to date you as soon as possible so that we'd get married once we're both of age."

"Hold up. Your mom put you up to this?" Vince nodded. Lyn always knew that Vince's mom was always a stage mother and was very conscious of her appearance. Now she understood why. "What about your dad? What did he say?"

"He said he didn't mind as long as it benefited the business, and that I make sure I run the company when he retired, and that I don't cause you any problems when we're together."

Lyn scoffed. "Well, clearly you only followed half that advice."

"Whatever Jackie. Anyways, when he found out what happened during Valentine's Day, he got mad and punished me by sending me to work in this stinkhole. He said that I needed to fix my attitude or something and that I should have been more 'courteous' with you. But you know what, I'm done with this. I'm letting you off. I'm sick of doing this. Especially when you have the Green Ninja as your so-called boyfriend." Lyn blushed at that last part.

"He's not my… wait. How come you never told the press? You knew Lloyd was the Green Ninja and I haven't heard any news about him since."

"You really think I would tell on that guy after receiving a death threat? So yeah. I'm done."

The girl's eyes lit up. "So what you mean is…"

"Ugh! Could you be any more ignorant? I'm saying I'm not gonna chase you anymore. I've had it with your 'tude and you constantly one-upping me."

"So you're not gonna stalk me anymore, or send me flowers, or those gross pickup lines?"

"Yeah, yeah. All that stuff. And… hey! My pickup lines aren't gross."

"Yes, they are."

"Argghhh… never mind. Just so we're clear, we go our separate ways, got it?"

"Got it. Though, what about your parents? What are they going to say?"

"Who cares what they're going to say? It's not like they'll disown me. Besides, there's plenty other fish in the sea."

"Yeah, yeah," Lyn said as she prepared to leave. Break time was about to end. "And there are quite a few girls that would indeed 'love' your attention. Goodbye, Vince." She said that with excitement and freedom and exited room just as the bell rang.

"Yeah. Bye." Vince went back to stocking supplies when he felt another presence behind him.

"Interesting closure you guys did," Monty peeped.

"Tell me you weren't listening."

"I didn't really hear much, but I could sense the tension. Anyways, all good now?"

Vince leaned back sniffed the stagnant air, but he never felt freer. He turned to his boss with a smile. "Yeah, all good now."

* * *

 **Yes, another chapter out. So now we know what's really going on with Vince. Maybe given the right girl, he may turn out to be a decent guy. Maybe. Thank you once again for the reviews! I'll try to get one last chapter out, as the next chapter is the one I've been dying to finish and post, but I needed to get this out of the way first. Because Lloyd's back and things are about to get even more interesting. Buckle up for the next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard**


	16. Chapter 16

As Lyn left the mailroom, she felt like jumping up and down. Finally, after so long, no one was chasing her. She was free. She could go around town as she pleased, not constantly having to look over her shoulder. Sure Caroline and the others were still there, but they were always easy to handle compared to Vince. She was just happy enough that phase of her life was over. She happily walked back to her desk and sat on her black swivel chair. Realizing she had virtually finished her to-do's for the day, she pulled out her phone. Normally phones weren't allowed to be used except for emergencies, but she decided to use it for a quick while anyway. She began flipping through her contact list until she found Lloyd's number. She and Lloyd still communicate, but not as often as they'd like. The green ninja has now devoted himself to training whole-heartedly as a ninja, and a sensei. Go Ninja Go has finally come to its finale and the producers wanted to push their idea of a movie, but the Ninja have politely declined, allowing them to focus on their training on the Destiny's Bounty.

'Should I text him? Especially after what happened with Vince? Perhaps he'll want to know.' Lyn pondered, staring absently at the screen. After a shrug, she sent a message.

 _Hey!_

She waited. And waited. And waited. Ten minutes had gone by and still no reply. 'Perhaps he's really busy.' She put her phone down and her fingers started tapping rhythmically on her desk. After another ten minutes, her phone vibrated. She hastily grabbed her phone and opened the new message.

 _Hey! It's been a while. Sorry, I replied late. I just finished training. How are you? :)_

Lyn sighed in relief. She typed her next message.

 _I'm doing fine. Hey, do you have any plans later? Let's hang out at Doomsday Comix. I have so much to tell you. :D_

Sure. Let me freshen up and I'll meet you there. What time do you clock out?

 _5 PM. I'll see you around 5:30? I'll stop by the house for a quick change._

 _See you!_ v(^-^)v

Lyn giggled at the emoticon. She found it quite cute. Wait, Lloyd? Cute? She thought Lloyd was cute? 'Well, he kinda is, but that's beside the point.' Lyn closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. 'Well, what was the problem if I saw him cute? Boys can be cute, right? But this is Lloyd. What's the big deal? He's just a cute best friend, that's all. But is there all there is to it?' The girl shook her head, trying to prevent the heat from building in her cheeks. She then looked at the clock. It was now 4:00 PM. Only one hour to go. To make time go faster, she went around the office, asking what errands she could do. By 5 PM, she was more than ready to leave. Her parents always stayed a few minutes later to finalize papers, meetings and check up on employees. After kissing them goodbye, Lyn exited the building. Going to the nearest bus stop, she headed for their home. Instead of wearing her signature white shirt and mint cardigan, she sported a gray tank with a short sleeve denim jacket with white pants. Her feet slipped into white sneakers before heading out the door.

* * *

Lloyd wiped the sweat of his brow. He just finished his training and was headed below deck. He opened the door to the Ninja's bedroom and flopped on his bed. 'I am going straight to bed.' Training's been getting tougher and tougher, and the feeling of being under soft sheets has never been more welcoming. His brothers soon came in and Jay grabbed his towel and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

"Lloyd you better take a shower because you're sweating bullets," the blue ninja told him. Lloyd just waved him off and pulled his pillow to his face, propping his cheek on its soft fabric.

"You've been more tired than usual Lloyd," Cole told the blonde boy. "You okay?" Lloyd just gave him a thumbs up and said no more.

"I believe Sensei's training is wearing him out," Zane pointed out. "Sensei must be stretching his mental limits, as well as his physical."

"Or he just misses 'You-Know-Who'," Kai teased.

 _Buzz!_

"Whose phone is that?" Cole asked. Everyone started turning their heads, then checked their own phones.

"Not mine," Kai said.

"My phone is built-in and therefore does not cause such noises," Zane added.

"Not me either!" Jay called from the bathroom.

"How would you..."

"It's because it's with me!"

"Mmph," Lloyd groaned and willed his fingers to crawl to his phone on his bedside table. He squinted his eyes when the light of the screen flashed before him. As his vision cleared, his eyes grew wide. His body turned to the other side of the bed, not realizing he was near the edge. Lloyd fell on the floor, shaking everyone's attention.

"Lloyd!" Kai poked his head from his bed. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Lloyd slowly got up and picked up his phone to return to his bed. Lyn texted him! It's been almost two months since that night at the beach, and since Lloyd recognized his feelings for Lyn. He hadn't told the others yet, but he preferred keeping it from them until he was sure of what to do. In training, he was often distracted but fought his hardest to maintain focus. Spending more time with Sensei Wu kept his mind occupied, but that did not stop the text messages that came every few days. And he was happy whenever Lyn texted him, or when he did it himself and her replying. But after a few weeks, their conversations became more scarce because Lloyd's sessions with Sensei Wu were getting longer and longer. Soon after, they stopped communicating. It saddened him, and he often wondered what she could be doing. So when he received her message, his heart jumped. And so did his body. Well, sort off. He stared at the message. Should he reply? It's been a while after all. What if it was just a wrong send? What should he say? He really wanted to see her but he didn't exactly have an excuse except for wanting to see her. Would that be too obvious?

"What are you staring intently at?" Kai asked, his eyes traveling to Lloyd's phone.

"Hey, where did you come from?" Lloyd's hand instinctively moved his phone as far as he could from him. The red ninja grinned.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing," Lloyd replied, arm still in the air.

"It says, 'hey'," Cole read. Lloyd looked up and saw Cole on his other side, looking at his phone's screen. Lloyd furiously pulled the phone towards his chest and shoved it in his pocket.

"It was just a 'hey', okay?" Lloyd crossed his arms.

"Come on, just talk to her, okay?" Cole replied, returning to his bed. "You're getting ridiculous." Lloyd didn't say anything. He just turned his head away from the earth ninja.

"Okay, now _that_ is ridiculous," Kai pointed out. "Seriously, Lloyd, look at yourself! You're getting worked up over this. We're brothers, aren't we? We're just want to help. Why won't you let us?"

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Except your way of helping is grabbing my phone and trying to text Lyn and teasing me nonstop! I thought you guys promised me not to do that!"

The red ninja sighed. He realized maybe his plan may not be the best way and different approach may be needed. He took a seat beside the blonde boy. "Okay, maybe we've taken things a little far sometimes, but it's all in good fun. We would never do anything to hurt you, Lloyd, and I know that you know that. All the things we do, that's typical brotherly nature. But if it's hurting you that much, then we're sorry. We promise that from now on, we'll just support you and Lyn."

"You promise no more stealing my phone, or teasing me with Lyn?"

"Promise. Right guys?"

"Promise," Cole said, raising his hand.

"I promise to do so as well," Zane joined.

"Promise to do what?" Jay asked, wearing a bathrobe as he emerged from the bathroom.

"Not to steal his phone or tease him with Lyn," Cole brought him up to speed.

"Fine." Jay shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, guys." Lloyd smiled.

"Or at least we keep the banter at a minimum anyway," Kai playfully grinned.

"Fair enough. Um, Kai?"

"Hm?"

"What did you mean by supporting me and Lyn?"

"You like her right? I mean more than a friend." Everyone looked at the green ninja waiting in anticipation for the answer. Lloyd doesn't say a word but looked at Kai nervously. His eyes said everything. The fire ninja smiled.

"I know. That's why we're going to help you."

"You got that right, Lloyd!" Cole said patting Lloyd's back. "We're going to help you win the heart of this girl!"

"But of course, we will help on your terms only, not force our methods on you," Zane pointed out while taking a seat near the green ninja.

"Brother sharpens brother after all," Jay finished. "Even in their love lives."

"That's so cheesy, man," Cole jabbed.

"Hey, you all had something to say!"

Everyone laughed at this, and Kai placed his hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"Anyway, text her already. She's waiting."

Lloyd nodded and composed a message.

 _Hey! It's been a while. Sorry, I replied late. I just finished training. How are you? :)_

After a minute, his phone lit up again.

 _I'm doing fine. Hey, do you have any plans later? Let's hang out at Doomsday Comix. I have so much to tell you. :D_

 _Sure. Let me freshen up and I'll meet you there. What time do you clock out?_

 _5 PM. I'll see you around 5:30? I'll stop by the house for a quick change._

 _See you!_ v(^-^)v

"We'll meet up at Doomsday Comix!" Lloyd raised his phone in victory. The others just looked at him, faces harboring expressions from disappointed and confused.

"Why there?" Cole asked. "I mean yeah we'll support you, but that place is no place for a date."

"I wouldn't call it a date yet," Lloyd replied, putting his phone down and getting his towel. "We'll just meet up there, and we'll see where it goes. I think I want to take it slow anyway."

"Yeah, yeah, Romeo," Jay said. "Now get cleaned up, coz you stink!"

* * *

When Lyn arrived at the entrance of the comic book store, her brown eyes caught sight of a fedora. Its wearer's green eyes linked with hers. When she saw him smile and wave at her, she felt her heart skip a beat and her face heat up. She tried to shake it off by playing it cool by cracking her own smile.

"Hi, Lyn," Lloyd greeted as they met at the glass doors. " Good to see you." He eyed her up and down, finding the heat rising towards his ears. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks, I felt a little different today, but a good different," Lyn replied, trying to calm her beating heart. It made her feel uneasy, yet at the same time, calm. Bottom line, it was weird for her.

Lloyd's smile broadened. "Something tells me you have good news."

"Buddy, you have no idea." The pushed the doors open and as they entered, a familiar face sports them from the counter.

"Hey y'all," Rufus MacAllister called. "Long time no see."

"Good to see you too, Mother Doomsday," Lloyd greeted back. He looked behind Rufus and noticed something different. "I see the back room's become quite the attraction."

"Yeah, it has. I have officially opened it to the public, though I made some renovations to make it look more attractive to comic book fans. Anyway, go ahead and take a look around. See if you have any comic book you like, other than Fritz Donnegan, of course. Doesn't come out until next month."

Lloyd gave him a thumbs up and went to the new reading area. Instead of an enclosed room, Rufus removed the interior walls, making it an open area. The floor now had rugs and there were comic book posters on the walls. Kids were coming and going to purchase more comic books to read. Lloyd then looked at his companion, who was scanning the shelves.

"So, what do you want to read today? Maybe you should start reading Fritz Donnegan. Just saying."

"Alright," Lyn shrugged. "I'll give it a shot. Though I'll read them at home because I still have something to say." She picked up the first three issues and paid at the counter. Lloyd then led her to a bean bag chair and sat on his own spot.

"So, what happened?" Lloyd leaned in to listen. Lyn too made herself comfortable to tell her tale.

* * *

"So for these past few days, you found Vince working in the mailroom, followed Vince _to_ the mailroom, interrogate him on his business there, and he tells you that he was being forced to date you in the first place?"

"Yup."

"And he lets you go? And I mean for good?"

"Yes! Can you believe it? I don't have to hide anymore. Goodbye Jack! I mean Jack was a good disguise but I can finally roam around without having to look over my shoulder." Lyn stretched herself and laid down the bean bag chair. "And it feels awesome."

"Well, congratulations." Lloyd held out his hand for Lyn to shake, which she does. "This should cause for a celebration, though I don't know how you plan to do that."

"Don't worry, because I will. What do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know, really. I mean, it's your celebration." Suddenly, Lloyd felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a little boy with light brown hair, wearing a purple sweater and jeans.

"Nelson?" Lloyd whispered. The boy placed his finger to his lips. Lloyd then gave the boy a hi-five. "How are you? Good to see you walking again."

"Yeah, it feels really good to be out of the wheelchair," Nelson told him. "Are you here by yourself?"

"I'm here with a friend." Lloyd pointed to Lyn. Lyn sat up and gave a shy wave. Nelson looked at her for a while, then returned the wave.

"Lyn, meet Lil' Nelson. Nelson, meet Lyn."

"Nice to meet you, Nelson." Lyn shook Nelson's little hand. Nelson takes in this girl's features before looking at Lloyd, then back at Lyn. His face lit up and the corners of his lips try to touch his ears, putting the pieces together.

"Well, it was good to see you, Lloyd. I guess I better go. Don't need to keep you from your date." Both are taken by this and they start waving their hands frantically, all the while turning crimson.

"Nelson, we're not dating. We're just friends." Lloyd assured him.

"Yeah, we sometimes come here to hang out. But we're not- you know," Lyn added with gestures for emphasis. Lil' Nelson just shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay. If you say so. Anyway, I better go. I need to be home for dinner."

"Okay," Lloyd told him while ruffling his hair. "Take care, buddy." But before Nelson left, he whispered in his ear.

"I like her. You should keep her." The Green Ninja whipped his head at the kid, but Nelson saluted him and ran out the door.

"What did he say?" Lyn asked.

"Ehhhh, nothing important. Hey, wanna go out and buy ice cream? I'm craving ice cream." 'Smooth Lloyd. Really smooth.' Lyn simply nodded. Purchases in hand, they head out the store, waving a 'goodbye' to Rufus. As they reached the park, they spot an ice scream stall nearby, dressed in pastel colors of pink, blue and green.

"What'll it be?" the vendor asked.

"What's your choice, Lyn?"

"Hmm," Lyn eyed the small list of choices. "I'll take the vanilla flavor."

"Two vanilla ice cream cones please!" Lloyd tells the vendor and pays for them before Lyn can reach her wallet.

"You really didn't have to," Lyn said, her voice a little low. Lloyd's paid for her before, but this time, she didn't want to stop him. She found his actions quite endearing.

"I know, but I want to." Lloyd handed her her cone.

"To your freedom!" Lloyd raised his cone.

"Eh, I guess this celebration is enough. To my freedom!" Lyn raised her own cone. The two continued to stroll along the park, enjoying the summer sun and the cool breeze. Not far was a movie theatre, the walls decked with posters that showed the current movies that premiered. As they walked past, a certain poster caught Lloyd's eye.

"THE NINJA GO MOVIE?!" The pictures showed him and the rest of the Ninja hanging onto bamboo trees, or at least people that bore a resemblance to them.

"No way!" Lyn herself couldn't believe it. "I didn't know there's a movie about you guys."

"Well, neither did I," Lloyd replied, finishing what remained of his ice cream. "We left production when the series ended. And we rejected taking the roles of a possible movie. I didn't know that they would push through with it, even without us."

Lyn observed each character. Nya had a ponytail and a mole, Kai had a scar, Jay had freckles, Cole tied up his hair, and Zane, well Zane still looked somewhat the same. Lloyd didn't look that much different either. The actor still had blonde hair and green eyes. "Well, the actors look okay. I think playing as you guys should be a great honor. Though I wonder what the movie is about? Possible spin-off movie of the series?"

"Only one way to find out: Wanna watch the movie with me?" 'LLOYD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' Lloyd's heart was thumping as hard as a drum and his palms were getting sweaty.

"Excuse me?" Lyn couldn't believe her ears. She couldn't have heard that right.

"Um, do you want the movie with me?" Lloyd's hands began to fidget behind his back, but he immediately regained his cool. "Well, you know, as friends. Doesn't have to be a date. Just for fun. And I'm curious to see what the writers have done to 'sully' the name of the Ninja."

Lyn thought for a moment. Her grip on her paper bag from the comic store began to tighten. Go to a movie with Lloyd? It's been a while since she's been to the movies. It could be fun. But this was Lloyd. The thought of him and her alone in the cinema, watching a movie, is that okay? But he said it himself: they would be going as friends. Or does he want it to be a date? At this point, she didn't know. Oh, why was she fussing about this? They _are_ friends. So why would she be so bothered?

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, you know," Lloyd's voice snapped her from her thoughts.

"No, it's fine. It's been a while since I've been to the movies, so it should be fun, right?"

"Right. So when do you want to watch it?"

"Well, what about tomorrow evening?" Lyn scanned the list of show times. "It says that last full show is at 8 PM."

"8 PM it is then." Lloyd fidgeted with the fabric of his jacket. Now he was having difficulty looking at Lyn in the face. 'Come on Lloyd, man up!' He shifted his gaze and saw that Lyn's face was getting red. He forced himself to speak. "Um, do you want me to pick you up at your house?"

"Uh, yeah, that's fine," Lyn began twirling her hair with her finger. 'He's picked me up from my house before, so why am I feeling so nervous all of a sudden?'

"Okay! Uh, do you want me to take you home?"

Lyn shook her head. "No, that's okay. There's a bus stop nearby. I'll take the bus home."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she assured him. "You've done so much already. Besides," She playfully crossed her arms. "I can't stand being outdone by your generosity!"

Lloyd chuckled. "Alright then. Be safe, Lyn."

* * *

Lloyd entered the living room where the boys were playing Fist to Face 2.

"Hey guys," Lloyd greeted and sat on the sofa's armrest to watch the game.

"So, how did it go?" Cole asked and paused the game.

Lloyd scratched his head. "Fine, I guess. I well, I kinda...asked... Lyn out."

"OHHHHH YES!" The ninja jumped in the air, hi-fived each other and pumped their fists.

"Nice going, Lloyd!" Kai praised.

"I wasn't planning to," Lloyd replied. "And it's not a date. Not really. I told her we'd go as friends."

"Why would do you that?" Jay asked.

"I thought she'd get weirded out when I asked her, so said we'd be going as friends."

"Well, you're moving anyway, so that's something," Kai said.

"What do I do? I'm so nervous I can't think straight!" Lloyd's hands held his head.

"Relax, Lloyd," Kai told him. He helped the green ninja up to his bed so he could be more comfortable. "You still have more or less twenty-four hours before your date. Just get a good night's rest, and let it come naturally."

"Kai's right, Lloyd," Zane added. "Getting worked up over something isn't going help you solve anything."

Lloyd exhaled. "Okay." His brothers were right. He needed to stay calm. Besides, it wasn't really a date, but he couldn't help but feel that it _was_ a date, not to mention his first. That night, he tossed and turned on his bed. He obviously couldn't get the thought out of his head. A soothing aroma slowly began to fill his nose. He sat up from his bed about to follow the smell when he spots Jay approaching him with a lit incense stick and placing it beside his nightstand.

"Whenever I had trouble sleeping, my mom would burn these lavender-scented sticks," Jay whispered. "The smell would help me relax." Lloyd felt his muscles easing their tension and his eyelids getting heavier.

"Thanks, Jay."

Jay smiled and patted Lloyd's head. "Night, Lloyd."

* * *

The following evening, Lyn ran to her room and shut the door. Her legs paced frantically in her room, while her hands began rummaging her wardrobe. "Jeez, why am I so nervous? It's not like I'm going on a date. Am I?" She pulled out some nice blouses, skirts, and dresses from her closet. She saw a nice pleated white blouse with off-shoulder sleeves.

"It's cold in the movies, so no." Next, she tried a black jacket with a grey tank top. She also took some grey leggings and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Hmmm, no."

Her eyes then dotted to a mauve wooly sweater that reached almost reached her knees. She held it up and put in front of her to see. It had curvy patterns in the front and it was soft and comfy.

"This is it I guess." She then took a pair of white leggings and some beige ankle boots. Then she decided to grab her red beanie as well. She looked at herself in the mirror. Something was missing. She looked at the small makeup set she had. 'A little makeup couldn't hurt.'

At the Destiny's Bounty, the ninja were helping Lloyd get ready. When they found Lloyd throwing his clothes all over the place, they sprung into action, with Jay somehow taking the lead.

"I NEED A GOOD LOOKING QUARTER SLEEVE ASAP! Dark blue or grey would be nice!" Jay ordered. "Kai, hair gel, and comb. Zane, get my watch from the box near my nightstand. You'll need that to keep track of time."

Cole came running back with a navy blue quarter sleeve shirt that had a gradient of dark at the top and slowly becoming lighter as it reached the end of the shirt.

"Hey, that's my shirt," Jay said. " But that'll do."

Kai also lent him some black jeans to wear. When they were finally done, Lloyd couldn't believe that he was looking at his own reflection. He still looked like himself, but definitely more dashing. His hair was even carefully brushed to look more behaved and neat.

"There," Jay said proudly. "You look ready to score your first date."

"I told you, it's not a date," Lloyd sighed shaking his hands frantically.

"Hey hey don't get frustrated you'll just sweat more" Kai advised. He then snapped his fingers. "Cologne." He went to the bathroom and took out some body spray.

"Uh no thank you," Lloyd told him. "I smelled that thing and it made me too dizzy I can't walk straight."

"Okay, then why don't you try mine?" Jay said giving him a small vial.

"Where'd you get this?" Lloyd asked.

"Back when I was in the entertainment industry. A host has to smell good as much as he looks good."

Lloyd sniffed it and grimaced. "Still too strong."

"Apparently, you're not into strong scents," Zane remarked.

"Hmmm, wait here," Cole said as he looked inside his drawers. He came back with a small spray bottle no bigger than 3 inches.

"Try this one." He said. He sprayed some on Lloyd's wrist who took a whiff.

"This smells good," Lloyd replied.

"Good. Put this on then." Lloyd looked at the bottle and saw that there was not much left.

"You sure about this Cole?"

"Yeah, no problem." The ninja of earth replied. "I normally use that for formal events back home, but we don't that much now do we?" He then pats Lloyd's back. "Besides, today's a special night"

"One more thing: won't people recognize you?" Zane inquired.

"Aha!" Jay snapped and grabbed his blue beanie and handed it to Lloyd. Lloyd took it hesitantly, while the others eyed it with speculation.

"What?! It's been washed okay?!" The green ninja took it from the blue ninja and tried it on. The beanie covered his head but he decided to let his bangs stick out with their natural waves.

"I feel bad I have to hide Kai's handiwork."

Kai simply shrugged. "Can't really do anything about it now."

As Lloyd admired himself in the mirror, he felt his heart swelled with a mixture of emotions: happy, impressed, nervous, excited. He turned to the others who were all crossing their arms and grinning at each other obviously proud of their work.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what?" Cole asked him. "Admit it. You look awesome."

"Well…"

"Well all that good look will do him no good if he doesn't leave this instant," Zane pointed out a, gesturing at their bedroom's wall clock.

"You better get going, or you'll miss your 'Not-Really-a-Date'," Jay chuckled as he pushed Lloyd to the door. As Lloyd grabbed the doorknob, he looked back at his friends.

"Thank you, guys. I owe you one."

Lloyd landed gracefully in his favorite secluded alley, just three buildings from Lyn's home. He casually walked up to the building. He spotted a figure come out of the revolving doors and felt his jaw slowly drop. That was his friend Lyn alright. But she looked different, her brown hair was naturally wavier, and she looked really pretty in her sweater, leggings, and boots.

"Hey." She gave a small wave.

"Hi. You uh… look great!" Lloyd took in her features. He noticed that her cheeks glowed with a soft pink color, her eyelashes longer and curled, and her lips shimmering under the light.

"Thanks. You too. I like the beanie."

"Heh, thanks. Shall we go?"

Inside the movie house, Lloyd and Lyn sat on their respective seats, popcorn bucket in hand. The lights dimmed and the screen began to glow. As the first moments of the movie played neither could really focus at what was happening. Lyn would occasionally steal glances from the green ninja. Lloyd too would look to the corner of his eyes. Right there, with her, he couldn't help but feel happy, calm, and at home. Every moment he spent with her, he eases up and his worries slowly melt away. He saw her look in her direction and he immediately looked at the screen while Lyn's eyes move toward her popcorn bucket. Her cheeks grew warm, but at least the theatre was too dark for him to notice. Her heart was beating erratically and she prayed that he couldn't hear it. She tried her best to look back at the screen. She was there to enjoy the movie after all. An hour and a half later, the movie was finally over, and they exited the theatre.

"So what did you think of the movie?" Lyn asked while stretching her arms.

"Actually, it was pretty good," Lloyd replied. "Though it was unusual that Spinjitzu was mentioned once but we never used it in the movie. And my dad's pretty comedic in this movie, and somehow has a weird liking to sharks."

"Yeah, where do you even get that many sharks?"

"But overall, the movie was good. Though it reminded me of Dad during his days as an evil warlord. I guess that's what he was most famous for."

"I'm so sorry Lloyd. I hope that the movie didn't open any old wounds."

"No, it's okay. It's in the past. I'm just glad that we reunited at the end of the movie."

"Jacqueline? Is that you?" A voice rang from behind the pair.

"Run." Lyn grabbed Lloyd's wrist and prepared to sprint, but her the lady had already taken hold of her shoulder.

"You came to watch 'The Ninja Go Movie' too?" Lyn turned around to see Caroline by herself, which was rare. "I was supposed to see it with Bianca but she canceled at the last minute because she misplaced her favorite mascara! The nerve!" Caroline immediately spotted Lyn hand holding Lloyd's wrist, sparking her curiosity.

"Oh, excuse me! Are you two on a date? Jacqueline, I didn't know you were seeing someone. Care to introduce us?"

"I-uh..." Lyn stuttered.

"I'm just a friend from college," Lloyd cut in. He then pointed at his emerald eyes. "I'm a big fan of the Ninja. That's why I wore these contacts."

Caroline looked at Lloyd from head to toe. He definitely carried himself well. And he was very, very cute. Her expression suddenly changed.

"Oh, really? Would you mind telling me more about your knowledge about the Ninja? You seem really well-versed about them." She then grabbed Lloyd's right arm and slowly led him away. Lloyd was surprised at her straightforwardness. He was used to running away from fangirls, but he wasn't sure how to handle one that already "caught" him.

"I really shouldn't be bothering you..." Lloyd politely told her, but to no avail. He was inching away from Lyn by the second.

Lyn watched as the two walked away. Her hands balled into fists and blurted, "We're on a date!" She immediately covered her mouth in instant regret. Lloyd and Caroline whipped their heads back at her. Lloyd was dumbfounded. She had made it official that they were on a date. He immediately turned to Caroline with confidence.

"Oh yeah, we _are_ on a date. Though we're still getting to know each other." He immediately removed himself from Caroline's grip and moved toward Lyn. Lyn immediately takes hold of Lloyd's arm with her two hands and walked the other way, leaving a flabbergasted Caroline behind. Their pace grew quicker the farther they distanced themselves from the movie theatre. When they reached the next block, both of them exhaled.

"I thought she'd chase us for sure," Lloyd said looking over the corner of the building where they hid. Lyn said nothing but kept clinging on Lloyd's arm.

"Lyn?"

"Hm?"

"You okay?" Lyn just but her lower lip. She eyed their linked arms. She wanted to stay longer like that, but she forced herself to let go. She started walking once more. Lloyd joined her, watching her every step.

"I'm sorry," the brunette finally spoke.

"For what?"

"Back there. I didn't mean things to turn out the way they did." She held her sweater while saying it and she began to walk slow. Lloyd slowed down to match her pace. He wanted to put his arm around her to comfort her, but seeing that she had just broken contact, decided against it.

"Well for what it's worth, I regret nothing." Lyn was taken aback. She looked at Lloyd's eyes which shimmered in the moonlight. The moon paled in comparison to Lloyd's smile, and she found herself smiling back. And both started laughing.

Instead of taking the dragon, they walked back to Lyn's home. The cool breeze accompanying them made it a great night for a stroll. As the two walked, neither said anything. They were simply enjoying each other's company. Unbeknownst to each other, both of them were replaying what they had just done back in the theater.

Well, this is me," Lyn said as she turned to face Lloyd.

"Thanks again for tonight. I had fun."

"Thank you too. I enjoyed it. Even that fiasco."

Lyn chuckled awkwardly. She found herself tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She still didn't want to go in wanted to spend more time with Lloyd, despite that it was almost 10 in the evening. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she looked at the green ninja's face, taking in his features. His green eyes shone and his blonde locks stuck out from the sides. His defined jaw complemented his face and his smile was definitely beautiful.

Lloyd on the other hand also stared right back at her. Lyn's wavy hair framed her face, her hazel eyes sparkled, especially when her thin lips creased into a smile. She was indeed beautiful, inside and outside. Heat began to rise to his ears. He didn't realize that he was inching closer to her. He failed to notice his right hand moving to reach for hers. Lyn too started moving closer to him, her brown eyes locked onto his emerald ones. The moment their fingers touched, they both realized that there was a lot closer than it should be and both snapped back to reality. They each stumbled back and turned away from each other.

"I-uh, guess I'll see you around?" the brunette asked awkwardly. She was holding her face, her back facing the green ninja.

"Uh yeah, I'll be seeing you, Lyn," the green ninja replied, scratching his head, looking in the opposite direction.

"Bye!" Lyn briskly walked inside the building not daring to look back.

"Bye." Lloyd adjusted his beanie before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away. He shook his head several times, the memory replaying itself over and over. He was so close to her face, and he couldn't stop himself until he felt the warmth of her hand. He looked back at the building and saw his friend disappear in the elevator. He didn't want her to go, but she just did and there was nothing he could do. But, given everything that had happened, he knew that it was enough for him. He walked for another few minutes before summoning his dragon to take him home.

Lyn shut the door to her room. She washed her face and changed to her sleepwear. Lying on her bed, she couldn't get what just happened out of her head. His green eyes, his blonde hair, his bright smile. And how she actually said that they were on a date?! Why did she even say that? And Lloyd didn't even mind it, which made her more flustered. Her cheeks began to flush as she grabbed the nearest pillow and squeezed her face against it. She placed her hand on her heart and found that it was beating fast as before. She looked at her hand, where her fingers touched with Lloyd's even if it was just for a brief moment. She loved spending time with the green ninja, that much she knew. Something about his presence made her feel safe like she belonged. He had become someone she could lean on, her safe haven. She sat up with a new resolve. She wasn't going to deny it anymore.

"I've fallen for Lloyd Garmadon."

* * *

 **Finally, Lyn sees it too! Jeez, Lyn, you're even slower than Lloyd! But man, was this chapter long. I was thinking of dividing it into 2-3 chapters but I wanted to finish this because I'll be resuming my thesis already. Thank you once again for your reviews. I hope you liked the updates I've been giving till now. I won't be updating again until next year. But don't worry, I'll return soon enough. Till next chapter ~ Snowflakeshard**


End file.
